At North Atlanta, the first faces students see when they walk in the building is not usually the principal or administrators. In fact, it’s most often the School Resource Officers (SROs) who greet the students in the morning and ensure all people entering the building are safe. Kyle Stephen and Jeanelle Nicolas are two SROs who fulfill this role along with many others in order to provide a safe learning and working environment for students and staff at North Atlanta. 

In order to become an SRO, candidates must have at least five years previous work experience as a police officer. However, perhaps one of the most important qualifications involved in the career is being able to relate to and interact with students. Both Stephen and Nicolas value and prioritize building relationships with the youth at North Atlanta. “I love the kids here. Whenever I can reach out to the students and keep them from getting into trouble, I will,” said Nicolas.

In addition to the constant challenge of understanding the minds of students, SROs at North Atlanta are tasked with a large variety of day-to-day tasks, including traffic duty, patrolling the school, monitoring the halls and cameras, and being aware of suspicious figures around the school. “We work all year round. We don’t get summer breaks or winter breaks like the students. Although this year is the first we have holidays off,” said Stephen.

While North Atlanta is a school that prioritizes safety, there is still always the potential for crisis situations. The training involved in order to hold the position of SRO is demanding, requiring 20 hours per year in order to gain certification. “There have been concerning situations at North Atlanta,” said Nicolas. “But because of our experience and communication skills, we were able to resolve the manner in a timely fashion without anyone getting injured or hurt.”

The SROs play an integral role in keeping North Atlanta secure. Well-versed in understanding the school and keeping teens safe, they are here to help. Through fostering relationships with students, developing strategies to resolve problems affecting teens, and being actively involved in training and preparation, the SROs at North Atlanta are among the best.