SRO Relationship Inspires Law Enforcement Career Choice at McKinley

School Resource Officers in area high schools and middle schools truly can make a difference in young people's lives.  

Officer Anne Deutmeyer, SRO at McKinley Middle School, focuses on building relationships with students through her involvement in career days, classroom visits and lessons, cafeteria duty, home visits, interventions, after-school activities, field trips, school events, and staff learning activities.

This year District eighth graders are participating in the Kuder Navigator System to complete a Career Interest Inventory as a way to identify career possibilities that match their interests.

At McKinley Middle School, 98 of the 150 students who took the assessment ranked law enforcement among their top three career choices. Fourteen percent of the students identified law enforcement or public safety as their top choice. This means that law enforcement was the overall top choice amongst the 8th grade students.

This is both exciting and encouraging as the goal of the SRO program is to build positive relationships between police and students. We hope to build upon these results and continue to find creative ways to enhance trust between police, students, and the community. 

Jason Martinez, McKinley Principal. “Based on this year's results, it is apparent Officer Deutmeyer is having a tremendous impact on McKinley's student career interests. Her eagerness to not only build relationships and support all students, but the time she spends visiting with the kids about the numerous roles our law enforcement officers play in the community are major reasons why, I believe, our students are considering law enforcement or public safety as a career choice. We are very grateful to have her as a member of our team.”

Students also appreciate her and are happy to speak up about it.

“I love officer Anne,” said one student. “She helped me solve a problem I had with another student.”

“If I’m in the hall, she will always say hi to me,” added another. “She tries to figure out what’s wrong if I’m upset instead of getting mad right away.”

“She’s awesome and kind,” shared a student. “She’s always there when I need her. She understands us and is easy to talk to.”

“She’s very nice, and has a nice heart,” added another. “She is also very funny.”