Central

Central brings back the school resource officer position, introducing a fresh face among staff

by Kate Unger staff writer

“I really just want all of the students and the staff to feel safe at all times,” says Resource Officer Justin Nowland. Over the summer, Central High School has undergone numerous changes, including a new addition to the staff—that new addition is Officer Nowland. In the past year, the school received a fair amount of feedback from parents, students, and even staff that they would be interested in having an officer at Central. They expressed they would feel more comfortable knowing there was that presence on campus. “Having [an officer] provides some kind of reassurance that someone is here that has training and expertise in areas we don’t,” explains Principal Jessie Houghton. “The other thing he provides is some connection to our community and mentorships to our students. He has some resources that other staff members don’t have, including me.” As a result of this feedback, Nowland strives to make a comfortable and safe learning environment for the students and the staff.

Back when anti-police rhetoric became more commonplace, Nowland decided he wanted to become a police officer. “There were lots of…allegations of police officers who [weren’t] doing a good job or that they were corrupt. So I thought… ‘I’m gonna do the job the right way,’” he explains. Nowland has been an officer since May 2017, primarily serving with the Traverse City Police Department. When there is a new position open, it gets posted to the entire department, meaning anyone can apply for the job. Nowland saw that there was a position to be Central’s resource officer, and he jumped at the opportunity. He sent a letter of interest to his boss, which was then put into a pool where everyone who applied tested against each other. Those who passed were put into an internal interview, then an external interview. Eventually, Nowland was chosen for this position.

Prior to his work at Central, Nowland worked with the homeless population in Traverse City, and a majority of his training is in the area of mental health. He is a part of the Community Mental Health (CMH) organization, working with the homeless population. This role requires a lot of mental health support, as well as connecting people to different resources in the community. He expresses how it can sometimes be challenging to work with them. “A lot of those folks in the homeless population don’t necessarily like [the] police. Not all of them, but some of them are just kind of anti-law enforcement. Occasionally, it can just be a little difficult to work with them,” Nowland admits. “With teenagers, you can get that as well, but they are usually more optimistic and positive.” Nowland typically arrives at Central around 7:30 and stays until 3:30, unless there are school events in the evening. He often patrols the parking lots to ensure student safety when arriving and leaving school. Throughout the day, you’ll see him by the lunchroom, library, and the hallways. Sometimes, he visits classes like Crime and Justice for firsthand experience and questions.

Besides being present for student safety on campus, Nowland also helps with issues outside of school. There have been some students in situations where their guardians aren’t a good fit for them, or sometimes Child Protective Services (CPS) will come to interview a student. Nowland has reached out to other housing options for students to help them stay in a home that is a better fit for them. He has helped with custody issues as well. When there is a CPS interview with a student, he attends those to support them. He has also helped mentor a few kids already that need another adult to talk to. “His goal is to make lots of positive connections, to answer questions, and to be a resource for the kids in our community,” shares Houghton.

Being in a new environment can be hard sometimes when everyone already knows everyone else. “All the students—other than the freshmen—know all the teachers, all the teachers know each other, and I’m still just getting [to know] the teachers and the students,” Nowland says. He tries to attend night events such as football games, soccer games, and school dances. “Sometimes I play sports at lunch or chess with the students,” he comments. Getting involved in student activities is something Nowland has been doing a lot so far at Central, which has helped him form better relationships with students.

Even though he has only been at Central for a few months, Nowland has enthusiastically embraced his new role. By being a mentor to the school community, he is already making a great impact on the students and staff. //