SRO and blogger Dustin Brock with his family

Patrolling the streets can be tough, but at times dealing with the woes that befall adolescents can pale in comparison.

Dustin Brock knows firsthand. He deals with middle schoolers (and, by default, their parents) day in and day out as a law enforcement and school resource officer.

On his blog Kindergarten Cop, he describes his run-ins with disrespectful students, maniacal parents and we promise there are some nice folks in the mix. Brock paused his hallway watch to fill us in on kids these days.

And a special tip o’ the hat goes to Rebecca at Hott Cops for pointing us to Brock’s blog. Thank you!

Why did you choose to become a school resource officer?

I chose to become a SRO for several reasons. Part of my passion is teaching. I love to teach. But I also love law enforcement more. So, getting a chance to affect kids for good is a big reason I chose SRO. It combines the best of both worlds.

Also, to be honest, another reason is the work hours. I have a family and am also the sole income provider in my home. I have four great young kids under the age of seven, and spending time with them and attending church services on Sunday are paramount for me and our family’s happiness.

Does working with middle schoolers ever bring back memories of your own middle school experiences?

Working with middle school aged kids does bring back memories good and bad. It also reminds me of how much things have changed over the years. The challenges they face today and the ones I faced as a child are very different or more difficult. They have drugs, sex and now disrespect for authority as some of their top challenges.

What do you find the most baffling about kids that age?

The thing that is most baffling to me is the sheer disrespect of authority, entitlement thinking and lack of taking responsibility. When I was in middle school I hardly saw my SRO. But when I did I had the utmost respect for him. It was always,”Yes sir and no sir.” Nowadays, kids try to talk on my level and speak to me like I was their peer, and that is not the way it’s gonna be. They even try my words, and I have to show them instead of talking to them to get their attention sometimes.

You recently wrote about a bullying case. This seems to be the most problematic with kids in their early teens. Is there anything LEOs can do to prevent this type of bullying?

I think the most important thing an LEO can do is be available, let the kids know that you are there to help. Also, for me, I get so many bullying reports that they are mostly trivial and some unfounded.

With this last case of bullying where I arrested a girl for a severe case of it occurring over a period of months and every afternoon until it became physical, I initially did not take it to heart. I guess that is my fault initially due to be inundated with it on a daily basis . You kind of build a tolerance for it. But in this case I learned that just because it was reported to me once, and then the second time was several weeks later, I felt it wasn’t a real danger. However, my inaction — though it hadn’t got to the criminal level — did bear some responsibility to the problem aggravating further.

So, all in all, take each case seriously and communicate with your administration for intervention where applicable. I would take that a step further an keep the “triangle of success” open involving parents, admin and student in the communication process.

Aside from the bullying, what’s the worst thing you’ve seen as a SRO?

Actually, the worst thing I have seen as an SRO happened just a few months ago of which I wrote a detailed summary of in my “Kindergarten Cop” blog article entitled, “Oh, What Did Yesterday Bring?”.

This incident was twofold in outcomes. First, a mother fed up with her daughter’s misbehavior comes to the school and literally beats her down onto the ground. It was an old-fashioned street brawl in front of school while classes were changing and other parents and school staff were about. After arresting the mother, I had several teachers tell me this was a “cultural” thing and nothing bad or criminal was done to the child. I arrest the mother for child abuse due to it being caught all on camera (luckily). While I am depositing the mother into the jail booking area, my Sergeant calls and tells me my school principal banned me from the campus. Never in a million years would I have seen this day coming. There is a first time for everything.

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the part of your job that really excites you?

The thing that excites me about putting my uniform on is knowing that I represent freedom and protection for the citizens of the county and school. There are not many good examples out there in our society, or the media has them covered up with negative press. So, I feel it a challenge to set the bar high, and try to aid someone in getting through middle school since it’s an awkward time. I love the challenges that befall me, and the ever-changing issues that come my way. There is never a dull moment. I mean NEVER.

Tell us about the SRO uniform. Does it include tactical pants?

I wish my uniform involved tactical pants! I work for an old school, old-fashioned Southern sheriff. While a lot of these characteristics of a sheriff are great, and I love working for him, the traditional dark green sheriff’s polyester-blend uniform with polished leather, metal badges and pins is what I am told to wear. So, while it has its initial on-the-scene effect of gaining respect and knowing who is the authority when arriving on scene with polished boots, shiny pins, and dark green fabric…it is still hot and not as easy to work in.

In the school I work in, I wish I had BDU’s bloused, ball cap (maybe)and a polo to right honest with you. My middle school is in the heart of the city and is primarily urban in nature. Its like patrolling the streets. There is nothing tactical about squeaking leather and shiny pins that can cut me or another. Sorry for rambling but I wish this could change.