Officals Say New Police Post at SHS is Saving Lives

The partnership between and theis already having a positive impact, say school leaders and the new school resource officer at .

The new resource officer position, which is funded by both the district and township, was the subject of a discussion at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent Scot Graden said school resource officer Tiffany Small has quickly become a member of the team at Saline High School.

“She leverages her experiences and her network in a very beneficial way,” Graden said. “There have been a couple really serious personal issues that have come up related to our students and we’ve been able to make this connection right away. These are stories that will never come out, and shouldn’t come out (to the public), so it’s sometimes hard to articulate. It’s to the point of almost saying that we’re saving lives.”

Small echoed Graden’s statement.

“We have already saved lives,” Small said.

The township and school district have talked for years about creating a law enforcement position at the high school, which on any given day, is home to 1,300 students and staff. At a recent township board meeting, Pittsfield Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal talked about the need for the new position.

“Three years ago there was a gun threat at the high school and it rudely awakened us to the potential dangers. It’s important to actively engage the schools and make them as safe as possible,” Grewal said.

Small, a military veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force and is still a member of the Michigan National Guard, has been with the Pittsfield force for nine years. She left her detective post to take the resource officer position.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to start a position like this,” said Small, who has a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. “I know what it’s like to entrust your children to a school and to expect that they are being taken care of.”

Small said she is quickly making connections with students and that she hopes all students will feel comfortable approaching her. 

Small is armed with a gun and carries a school radio and Washtenaw County emergency radio. She said she’s explained to students that she carries a gun for their safety, and not to protect herself from students. The radios allow her to stay in immediate contact with school officials and emergency officials throughout the county.

“If there is an incident, we can radio police and fire here right away without having to find a phone and call,” Small said.

Saline High School Principal Ben Williams said having a resource officer will make the institution a safer place.

“As a law enforcement officer, she is part of a network that we’re not privy to. She can pick up a phone and get an answer on an issue like a personal protection order, for example, almost immediately. If it was us making that call, we might have to wait a week to hear anything,” Williams said. “This program is already a success. She’s already made an impact.”

If a car squeals out of the parking lot and school officials get a plate number, they can now instantly get information about the identity of the vehicle owner, Williams said.

The school resource officer position was created as security guard positions were cut. While Officer Small does provide security, she does much more.

“She provides students with very real, very important lessons about the law and how it affects them,” Williams said.

Small talked to students about how seemingly minor decisions can have serious legal consequences.

“For example, a 17-year-old boy takes his 15-year-old girlfriend off campus during the school day. That 15-year-old doesn’t have the legal ability to consent, and that boy could be charged with kidnapping,” Williams said. “We’ve given that talk to students in the past, but it carries more weight when a police officer provides the speech.”

Small continues to integrate with the team. She is part of a grief support group that was formed to deal with the loss of a Saline High School graduate. She is also working with organizations like Safehouse and is meeting with Ele’s Place this week.

“I am starting to see what the needs of the students are and I am learning about the community resources that can be used to meet those needs,” Small said.

She is also asking law enforcement officers in her department to inform her whenever a Saline High School student is involved in an incident.

“Knowing what kind of incidents a student is involved with outside of school can help us understand what they need while they are in school,” Small said.