Arizona school resource officer of year wears many hats

Melissa Larkin wears many hats as a school resource officer working with students at Marana Middle School.

She is a lawyer, a teacher, a social worker and a friend to seventh- and eighth-graders, along with their parents and their educators.

These are among the reasons Larkin, of the Marana Police Department, was chosen as the Arizona School Resource Officer of the Year at a recent conference of the state SRO association in Scottsdale.

“I like being the positive face of law enforcement with the kids, and having an opportunity to teach them how to be safe, to know how the law works, and to know their rights,” said Larkin, 38, who was hired eight years ago by the police department and has been at Marana Middle for two years.

“They see so much on the news and don’t always understand what police officers are doing. I try to explain to them what officers are doing and why,” said Larkin, who touches base with a student body of about 1,100 students each year.

In addition to being a law enforcement officer on campus, Larkin teaches classes to all the students as part of the federal grant program that funds her position.

Among classroom lessons she teaches at the school, are the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments in the Bill of Rights. The lessons cover searches and seizures, protections against double jeopardy and self-incrimination, and a person’s rights in a criminal trial.

Larkin also teaches students about cyberbullying, and how to stay safe when using social media. “I try to teach them to think before they post something on the internet that they cannot take back and it can change their lives forever,” said Larkin.

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“If they take an inappropriate picture and put it out there, they lose their privacy. They have to realize that ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends can post images for the world to see,” said Larkin, adding that students also learn about the legal ramifications.

“They are so young and don’t think,” said Larkin, who talks to students about the dangers of sexting and using messenger applications that can lead them to connecting with cyber predators.

“Talking to strangers online is dangerous, and so many of them don’t see it that way,” she said, adding that she also talks to parents about the dangers and the importance of them protecting their children.

The officer also gives lessons about substance abuse and next year plans to teach about conflict resolution.

She works to make sure the campus is safe for students, faculty and staff, and when youth or adults report a crime she files police reports.

Larkin received 17 letters of nomination for the state award. The tribute recognizes her “dedication and service to the students and community,” said Vickie Hathaway, a spokeswoman for the Town of Marana, in a news release.

Larkin collaborates with teachers in establishing curriculum, and she also developed a Police Explorers class, which “allows students the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a police officer,” said Heather Pletnick, principal of Marana Middle School, in the release.

Pletnick praised Larkin for earning students’ trust and leaving a lasting impact on them.