knowledge of the law is helping kids
determine the best choice in certain
scenarios where they might once have
not recognized the dangers.
Each day is different, but one thing
remains constant, School Resource
Officers are a calming presence in
the school environment. The officers
constantly serve and protect whether
they are overseeing the parking lot at
arrival and dismissal times or walking
the hallways during class changes.
These deputies are always engaging
with students in a positive way and look
for opportunities to get to know the kids.
The SRO for Lakewood Ranch High
School saw the need for an extracurricular
sport and took steps to make it happen.
Thanks to 20-year-veteran Deputy Paul
Harris, 15 students (from different schools)
are part of an Olympic Weight-Lifting
program at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a
a super weight lifting coach or that the
team recently competed for the Youth
National title in Atlanta. What might
surprise people is that the team is
comprised of all girls and that these girls
are likely to go to college on scholarship
because of their involvement in this
sport, which is not a typical school sport,
thanks to Deputy Harris.
A similar story has taken place
across town. When 22-year-veteran
SRO Deputy David Mireles was first
transferred to Southeast High School,
he prayed for a program idea that
would assist him in breaking the barrier
between law enforcement and the
students on campus.
One afternoon he overheard the Athletic
Director say there was a need for a
men’s soccer coach. Despite having
never played or coached the sport
Other assistant coaches miraculously
appeared in the form of a parent with
prior professional soccer experience, a
local pastor with a calling to serve the
community in this way, and a former SEHS
student looking to get involved.
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