School resource officers are there for school protection. They help communities blossom and thrive, bringing everyone together while ensuring our safety.
Officer Zac Rohlfer has been on the force since he was 21. In 2008, he was assigned to work at Highlands as his primary responsibility in 2018.
The process of becoming a police officer is not an easy task it is very difficult. First, you must have a clean record and a professional and impressive resume. The next step is the written test. They take the top ten final scores, with ties, in which those individuals are eligible for the physical test. Those who can not pass the physical test are denied.
After a detective fully evaluates and investigates their life, gathering full information from primary sources, they must complete a policing academy. There they will learn everything they need to know, from procedures in every condition to basic communication skills.
The academy consists of weak evaluations, this is considered “the shadow phase” as they are being observed. Week 14 is where the basic process should be known. Afterward, they are put on probation for one year.
Officer Rohlfer shares his advice with people looking to go into policing. He said: “Policing needs good people more than ever. If someone loves a little adventure in their life and really wants to make a difference helping people, this is a great job.”
Early this year, Highlands hired a second officer due to the Kentucky law. This law is called SB1, it required all schools to have at least one Officer per campus.
Officer Chris Goshorn was previously a sergeant on the Fort Thomas police force for twenty-one years. He retired in 2016, he said: “Around July 13, 2016, I decided that July 31 would be my last day.”
Officer Gorhorn spoke on his initial decision to be a part of the HHS community. He said: “I saw an advertisement for the school resource position and decided that it would be nice to come back to the police department I spent my full-time career with as well as it would be nice to serve the school district that I am an alumnus from.”
He also talked about his hiring process, “The process was for me to fill out the application and submit it with my resume and other documents such as driver’s license and high school diploma. I then had to fill out an extensive background questionnaire for the detectives to complete a background investigation on me,” said Gorhorn
Once his background was completed, he was assigned by the chief of police to meet with not only the chief, but also the city administrator and chairperson of the safety committee, this was for a formal interview. Once completed, he was given a start date.
Officer Gorhorn spoke about his experience so far. He said: “I have been a little busy in my first four weeks, but it has been a rewarding experience. The faculty and staff at all the schools were very welcoming! It has been fun meeting students and staff alike. One of the most rewarding experiences is I have a granddaughter in Woodfill Kindergarten that I get to visit and participate in some classroom activities with.”
With these rewarding experiences, this job is not an easy task. It shares a large difference then his previous experience of being a sergeant, as he is in school all day and doesn’t take care of traffic accidents. Another key difference is he doesn’t have to work night shifts as well as weekends, giving him more time to enjoy with family and focus on his profession.
Being a resource officer has many responsibilities that are involved. With the duty of protecting our school and students, they play a significant role in our community.