HAZEL PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Safety and security for students and school staff are on the minds of parents across the country as we face a rise in school shootings.
The latest incident was on Monday when three kids and three adults were killed at a private school in Nashville. That happened just six weeks after a gunman shot and killed three students and Michigan State University and injured five others.
In an effort to improve safety, 195 resource officers are heading to Michigan schools in the next three years thanks to a $25 million state grant. But, what are school resource officers and how will students interact with them? We're taking a look.
Students at Hazel Park High School know their school resource officer, Piper, from all different experiences.
"He has a good relationship with all students," 11th Grader Caleb Strother said.
"I run my own baking business Kay Sweets and Creations so he's been helping me with that," Senior Akayla Taggart said.
"I had to kind of meet him through a situation..." Sophomore Alayna Brown said.
But there's one common thread they all noticed. He's always available to listen.
"It was really comforting the way he was talking to me even though I was scared out of my mind," Alayna said.
"Every time I talk to him he's always very nice," Caleb said.
"We talk like literally every day, I'm not gonna lie," Akayla said.
Officer Xavier Piper was an officer with the Hazel Park Police Department for 20 years and he's been a school resource officer for six years.
"Kids make regular appointments with me to come in and talk, other times they don't make appointments they just show up at the door which is just as fine as well," Piper said.
He spends his days walking the halls of the high school, listening to students' problems in and outside of school, and de-escalating student conflicts.
"On an average Monday it's trying to figure out what happened over the weekend. It's not unusual on Saturdays and Sundays for students, parents, to reach out and send me messages that something happened over the weekend," he said.
Because of a $25 million grant, nearly 200 more school resource officers like Piper are going into Michigan schools over the next three years.
"Talk to me about having an officer in the school, walking around the hallways. How does that make you feel when you come to school?" I asked.
"Sometimes you would think it would be intimidating but it's really not. He's really just a friendly face if you need something you know you can go talk to him," Akayla said.
"Seeing him and how cool he is, I always feel protected with him around," Caleb said.
"It's good to know there's somebody who can protect us," Alayna added.
In all, 195 schools will receive funding from the state grant. Amy Kruppe, the superintendent at Hazel Park schools, said it's changed many students' perception of law enforcement for the better and has helped students understand the consequence of certain actions.
"If you've broken a law specifically, that's when it isn't about what we say, it's what the chief is gonna say and what Officer Piper is gonna say," Kruppe said.
"For me to arrest somebody it really has to be a quite serious situation," Piper said.
I asked him if he has found any reluctance from students to open up.
"Yes. And some you just, can't get to, but I've had many that have literally transitioned from zero acknowledgment to me to having my phone number and being able to get in touch with me," he said.
Having a school resource officer has been a great success for Hazel Park, and it's one that hopefully will continue with 195 other schools in Michiga.
"Police officers are good in nature, they're good people that are here to help and I want the kids to understand that," he said.
