With twenty homeroom lunch buddies and six recesses a day, it’s not all play for SRO Andrew Thomas who is a major part of the Lake Murray Elementary School community as well as the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department family.
When you’re the face of law enforcement to young elementary school kids, it’s the little things that count. From tying shoes to carrying heavy things, answering questions to just being there to wave at in the morning, “every little thing that I do here at the school is bringing an impact to the school and it’s going to change their perspective,” reflects SRO Thomas.
Driven by a desire to keep learning
Three months into his role as SRO, it’s a big change from his previous role in the county’s IT department.
With an Associate’s degree already under his belt, Thomas had a real desire to keep learning. “I didn’t want to stop there with my education,” he recalls, “but I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do”.
Trying out a few different courses, he found himself hooked by a Computer Forensics Master’s program at Champlain College. In need of some law enforcement experience to complement his studies, Thomas applied for the Reserve Deputy program.
Making the full-time leap
Graduating in 2020, he served as a Reserve Deputy until October 2022 when a lightbulb moment made him realize he was ready to take the next step and pursue a full-time career in law enforcement.
“I just kind of woke up one day and felt this is where I needed to be, this is the kind of work I need to be doing,” he remembers.
With full support from Major Taylor and the training team, Thomas was ready for his new career. And where’s the best place for someone who loves learning? A school.
Being a real-life example
A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a vital contributor to school life, and SRO Thomas’s duties blend education, security and changing perspectives.
Whether it’s occupying curious minds with a crime scene investigation activity or educating students on online safety, all of Thomas’s work helps kids understand that real-life law enforcement isn’t like what they see on TV.
“Do you chase bad guys?” is the number one question he gets asked, and it’s a great opportunity to help kids understand the vital role that law enforcement play in our community.
“I really want them to understand that what we do is we help people, we help victims, a bad guy getting in trouble is just a consequence of their actions, us helping the victim is the most important piece of that”.
His presence has been an inspiration to the kids, with one kindergartener reminding SRO Thomas every day that he too wants to be a police officer when he grows up.
Taking the next step
It would take a lot to steal SRO Thomas away from Lake Murray Elementary, but an opportunity to marry his expertise in computer forensics, experience working with children, and passion for supporting victims on a taskforce like ICAC would be his ultimate career goal.
Just as he tells his kids, it’s all about making good choices. Whether it’s starting out in our Reserves program or you have years of experience and are looking for a new challenge, we support all of our team in building a rewarding career that’s as unique as they are.
Take a look at our current vacancies in the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Want to learn more about our recruitment process? Head over to our YouTube channel where Sergeant Dan Rusinyak walks you through what to expect.