Prepare for the Unexpected: Mountain Brook’s SRO Team Takes State Award

The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers named the Mountain Brook six-officer team as the state’s best SRO team for the 2022-23 school year. From left: Officers Tommy Tanner, Lance Ziska; Corporal Glen White; Officers Richard Knecht, Ro Burrow, Daphne Horton.

By Ana Good

Cpl. Glen White knows to prepare for the unexpected as part of his everyday duties. White, who has been the school resource officer at Crestline Elementary for the past four years, said each day brings its own adventure. 

When standing in front of a group of kindergarteners, for example, telling them about when to call 911 and when not to call 911, or talking about the importance of wearing a seatbelt in the car and a helmet on a bike, White said he knows to be prepared.  

“They are going to speak what’s on their mind,” he said. “They are not going to hold back. You’re talking to them, telling them about things related to the police and then ask if they have any questions. They’ll say, ‘What’s your favorite color?”’

White said those kinds of innocent questions are among his favorite aspects of the job.

“They want to know about me as a person, not only about police work,” he said. “It’s kind of neat that they want to know that. 

Recently, White said, a group of middle schoolers – graduates of the elementary school whom he had come to know over the years – showed up excited to visit with him. 

“They hollered my name from a block away,” he said, “ran up to see me and wanted to say hello. The fact that I made some kind of impression on them and that the Mountain Brook Police Department had an impact on them, that’s a positive thing. That got to me the other day; it made me feel really good.”

Statewide Recognition

The levels of friendly interaction and relationship-building White described are part of what helped distinguish the Mountain Brook Schools’ team of school resource officers above the rest. In June, The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers named the Mountain Brook six-officer team as the state’s best SRO team for the 2022-23 school year. Those recognized alongside White for the honor were Officer Tommy Tanner, Officer Daphne Horton, Officer Ro Burrow, Officer Lance Ziska and Officer Richard Knecht. 

All of the officers made the trip to Orange Beach to attend TAASRO Safe Schools Conference, where the recognition took place. The annual state conference is part of the officers’ ongoing training, White said, and the Mountain Brook Police Department helps ensure all the city’s SROs are able to attend each year. The state conference, along with the annual National Association of School Resource Officers’ conference, helps build upon the initial specialized training SROs receive. White explained the training encompasses everything from emerging school safety trends and concerns to discussions on how best to interact with students, faculty, staff and parents. 

In a news release about the recent recognition, Mountain Brook Police Chief Jay Loggins said the SRO team serves as a bridge between the community and the police department.

“The men and women that serve as SROs develop relationships with the kids and parents that lay the groundwork for the interactions between the police department and the community,” Loggins said. “They not only love their job but love the kids and the schools which they serve. The recognition of the best SRO team comes as no surprise. They are loved by the school administrators, the parents and, most importantly, the kids.”

SROs have had a presence at each Mountain Brook school since 2018, when Superintendent Dicky Barlow and the Board of Education worked with the city of Mountain Brook on the plan. 

“We are so thankful to our SRO team and truly appreciate our partnership with the city to have them in our schools and around our people,” Barlow said in the news release. “They are a high-performing and experienced group who value the relationships with the students, staff and the school community.”

White, who began his career with the Mountain Brook Police Department in 2006 after retiring from the Birmingham Police Department, said he felt especially prepared to become an SRO. 

“I’m a 12-year-old at heart anyway,” he said with a laugh.

Speaking more seriously, White said he’s found a second home at Crestline. 

“I’ve built some really tremendous relationships with our students and the faculty, parents, staff,” he said, “the whole community that is associated with Crestline.”