*School Resource Officer*
By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak
May 5, 2022
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Officer Dan Meadows! Officer Meadows is the SRO for the Brooklyn City Schools and has been working as a full-time SRO for the last seven years. Before becoming a full-time SRO, Meadows shared the part-time position of working in the Brooklyn City Schools alongside a few other Brooklyn police officers. Altogether, Meadows is currently in year 24 of working in law enforcement. Outside of being a police officer, Meadows also works in the television sports industry where he has experienced great opportunities with many of Cleveland’s most-loved sports teams.
Q: What do you like most about working in the Brooklyn City Schools?
A: “What I like most about working in the Brooklyn City Schools is being able to work with our students on a daily basis and to be a positive influence on them. Being an SRO allows a police officer to build a positive relationship with students that may not have, otherwise, been possible. There is no better feeling than when I see a former student who thanks me for encouraging them and says that I was a powerful influence in their young life.”
Q: What inspired you to become a police officer?
A: “I’ve always looked up to police officers. I had two SROs at my high school. In my junior year of high school, I became involved with the local police department’s law enforcement explorer program where I was able to ride-alongside and work with police officers. After seeing what they do on a daily basis, I decided that law enforcement would be my career path.”
Q: What is your favorite part about being a police officer?
A: “Playing with the lights and sirens… (not really). My favorite part of being a police officer is the opportunity to help other people.”
Q: What are the pros and cons of your job?
A: “Of course, in current times, the cons of this job is the constant public scrutiny of law enforcement. People who would never choose to be a police officer judging the actions of a police officer, despite the fact that police officers are only doing their job. Often, people fail to take responsibility for their actions and instead find it easier to blame someone else. That can make being a police officer extremely stressful and difficult. However, the pros include the opportunity to help people, be a positive influence, and build positive relationships. An additional pro would be that no two days are the same, and being a police officer is at times very challenging yet also very rewarding.”
Q: What are your interests outside of work?
A: “A little known fact about me is that outside of being a police officer, I work in the television sports industry. That job has given me opportunities that some people only dream of. In addition to working on the Cleveland Browns sidelines each game, I have worked numerous NCAA March Madness events, the four NBA Finals held in Cleveland, the MLB and NBA All-Star events, NFL Draft, and have been on set with the sportscasters of the NFL Hall of Fall events. My most memorable experience is being at Progressive Field during the pre-game activities during Game 2 of the World Series with MLB Films. Standing ten feet from home plate as the National Anthem was being played, I could hear 45,000 people behind me singing along. It still gives me goosebumps to this day thinking about that experience.”
Q: Favorite sports team?
A: “I am a big sports enthusiast, but the Cleveland Browns are definitely my favorite sports team.”
Q: Where is the ideal vacation spot for you and why?
A: “My ideal vacation spot would be in the Caribbean. Having to deal with the cold and snow of Ohio, there is nothing more that I enjoy than being able to relax on the beach in 80 degree weather when I know that it’s snowing back home.”
Q: Outside of Cleveland, what is a U.S. city that you could see yourself living in? Why should we visit there?
A: “Living outside of Cleveland, I would have to say Tampa Bay (Florida), Houston (Texas), or Las Vegas (Nevada). I have been to Tampa Bay many times and love the area and weather. My best friend lives in Houston, and Houston is just an amazing city. Las Vegas just sounds fun, and I would love to retire and work for a casino doing surveillance and security.”
Thank you for your responses, Officer Dan. We greatly appreciate you and your efforts to keep the Brooklyn City Schools and Brooklyn community a safe environment for all. Go Browns!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 