A Greensboro school resource officer earned a state award for going above and beyond.
Officer B.L. Harris was awarded the Hank Snyder “Beyond the Call of Duty Award” at the North Carolina Association of School Resource Officers Conference last week.
“Going above and beyond the call of duty is just how Officer Harris is wired,” said his supervisor, Sgt. M.J. Harris. “He is about making a positive impact on his students, and meeting the needs of people within his community.”
Police say Officer Harris is known for his sincere conversations with troubled youth. He talks with them about their roles as leaders and their future, and he stresses the importance of being good citizens in the community.
He is also quick to intervene when he students get off course – firmly yet fairly resolving discipline and disorder issues in the school. He once mediated differences between rival gang members in the same classroom so that the teacher could present the lesson in safety.
The SRO is also known for his community outreach efforts. He started a program called “Kicks for Kids” to collect new and gently used shoes for children in need. During 2013, he received approximately $8,088 worth of shoes and clothes for students.
He organized a cleanup of Claremont Homes, getting city workers, residents and other police officers to remove unsightly debris and pick up large quantities of trash.
During the summer, Officer Harris solicited local barber shops and beauty salons, obtaining more than 250 vouchers for free services for students who could not afford them
Harris will start the 2014-15 academic year as the SRO for Grimsley High School.
This is the third consecutive year that School Resource Officers from the Greensboro Police Department have earned recognition at the North Carolina Association of School Resource Officers Conference. Last year, Officer O.E.Hudson, Jr. was recognized as the CC McGee School Resource Officer of the Year, the highest state award named in memory of the late former Assistant Sheriff of Forsyth County. In 2012, Officer C. M. Rouhlac earned the same award for being the best SRO in the state.