A number of dedicated individuals work on a daily basis to make Lawrence High School a safe learning environment. But, only school resource officers Mike Cobb and Harold Grady can arrest a student when something goes wrong. Fortunately, that is the last thing they want to do.

Usually, Cobb and Grady can be found near their office in E-2 talking with students or patrolling the halls.

“As a school resource officer, obviously, my number one job is that of a police officer,” Grady said. “But being that you work in a school it’s not always just about the police work. It’s about trying to establish relationships with the kids.”

Rarely are they seen making an arrest or breaking up a fight, and that’s the way they like it.

Grady was a school resource officer for four years at South Middle School, but the Lawrence Police Department made the decision to move him to LHS this year. While Grady is no longer stationed at South Middle School, he still visits the school regularly and is responsible for its well being. Cobb is responsible for Liberty Memorial Central Middle School in addition to LHS.

The relationships Grady made with students at South Middle School helped him transition to LHS this year.

“The thing that has made my job being here (at LHS) a little bit easier is the fact that I came from South Middle School, and my first seventh graders are juniors here now,” Grady said. “So I know a lot of kids here and it’s made my job a lot easier as far as transitioning here because a lot of relationships have already been established.”

Bringing Grady up to the LHS has also helped make Cobb’s job a little easier, both with the work load and getting to know students.

LHS experienced more than 200 thefts last year alone, and Cobb was the only school resource officer around to manage them.

“I wasn’t, as [the only] SRO, able to get around and meet a lot of students last year,” Cobb said.

The transition from one officer to two has been relatively easy in part because the pair are friends. Grady helped train Cobb when he was first starting out as a police officer, and the two have remained close friends since.

“I think having Officer Grady here… we’re going to be able to do more proactive and interactive type things than we were [able to] last year because we have two [officers],” Cobb said.

Although leaving South Middle School wasn’t something that Grady had hoped for, both he and Cobb understand the vitality of their roles at LHS.

“You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes,” Grady said. “There’s a need for me here, and I’m gonna be here, and I’m gonna make the best of it.”