With 27 years of experience and 23 continuous years at Windham Police Department, School Resource Officer Jeff Smith will officially retire from Windham this fall. His last official day at Windham High School is November 23, but he will stay on part time to help train the next officer until the end of the year.
“I
love this job,” Smith said. Smith has been the SRO for 11 years at WHS. “It’s
very difficult for me to leave this place.” He will continue on as the radio
consultant at the school and will be back for sporting events, he said.
“He’s
been a very important component to the police department. He is the first and
only school resource officer we’ve ever had,” said Police Chief Kevin
Schofield. “There will be big shoes to fill.”
“Jeff
had impacted the high school in so many ways over the years. First, in
his role as police officer, he has improved the level of security of our
building and has bridged the gap between students in our community and the
Windham Police Department,” said Principal Christopher Howell. “Beyond his
role as officer, Jeff has served as a mentor, a social worker, a voice of
reason, a referee, and as a friend of students. He has been willing to
try most anything to support students as they made their journey through
Windham High School. Jeff has also impacted the building in regards to
the safety that he provides us on a daily basis. I am absolute confident
that Jeff would head into harm’s way to protect the staff and students at our school.” When Smith applied to be the first SRO he knew that there was a need for someone to be in the school. His life experiences have given him a perspective that not all officers have.
“I’m
a behind the scene’s guy,” Smith said. He has done many things out of the
spotlight to keep students and their families comforted and safe. He has
provided his cell phone number so he can be reached at any time by parents or
students. He’s the first person to respond in a crisis and has been a shoulder
to cry on during tragedies, said Howell. Smith is straight forward and honest
when addressing students. He doesn’t mince words. “Jeff’s greatest contributions to Windham High School have been through the relationships that he has built during the time in his position,” Howell said. Smith still hears from students he has counseled and worked with over the years.
The
culture of the school has changed in the last 11 years. When Smith first began
at the high school, there was a lot of police work, mostly around theft in the
cafeteria. “Hungry kids were stealing food,” he said. In 2007, he started a
lunch fund and thefts decreased from two or three a week to one a month.
“Now
a lot less of my job has to do with law enforcement. Ninety-eight percent has
nothing to do with it,” he added. He credits a lot of the culture change to
having the Rachel’s Challenge speakers come to the school. Rachel was one of
the first victims in the Columbine shootings. The first time the auditorium was
packed with parents and students to hear the night time presentation. Students
became more kind and filled with compassion. They are turning in money they
find, from $4 to $40. “That’s how much this thing has evolved,” Smith said. “My
biggest accomplishment is being there for these kids when they need me. I’m
still hearing from kids that graduated when I first started.” Smith earns their respect by helping whenever he can. He’s like an extra parent often helping kids get home to pick up computers, projects, homework and whatever else they might need.
His
success according to Schofield has been, “The ability to become ingrained in
the school community in general. He’s a natural at knowing the kids and dealing
with them on a personal level, supporting them through scholastic needs and
dealing with issues in and out of school. He’s approachable.”
Smith’s
retirement job will be with Falmouth Police Department where he has worked part
time for many years.
“I’m
thankful I’ve had the opportunity to help raise these kids because it takes a
village to raise kids,” Smith said.
Interviews
for the new SRO are being held on Friday. Students should be informed soon
after.
Photo:
SRO Jeff Smith sits with seniors Andrew Lawyer and Rachel Cushman before he
retires from Windham Police Department on November 23.
