Collaboration between Law Enforcement Officers and schools is an important step in increasing school safety.  The SRO program places a police officer in the elementary, middle and high schools with the goal of creating and maintaining a safe, secure, and orderly learning environment for students, teachers, and staff.  The SRO program reflects the community’s desire to ensure that it’s schools are safe and secure.  SRO’s represent a proactive strategy designed to bring prevention and intervention into the schools.  The Law Enforcement Officers involved with the school community identifies and prioritizes problems and develops solutions. The school community includes the superintendent, administrators, principals and assistant principals; teachers and assistants; counselors, school nurses, school social workers and psychologists; bus drivers, custodians, maintenance and cafeteria personnel; students and parents. In a School Resource Officer program, the members of the school community partner with the Law Enforcement Officer assigned to their school in order to create a setting that is safe and secure, with a focus on prevention and early intervention activities.

Without a doubt, the most important relationships for the SRO to cultivate are relationships with the students. Getting youth actively involved in the School Resource Officer program can help the SRO to build rapport with students; reduce stereotypes of police officers; provide opportunities for youth be involved in the improvement of their school; and promote crime and delinquency prevention.

Officer Boaz is a native to Paris, Texas and a graduate from Paris High School. His career in Law Enforcement started as a Delta County Jailer/911 Dispatcher in 1989. He joined the Lamar County Sheriff's Department as a Field Deputy in 1990 where he worked in civil process, investigations and was a intoxilyzer operator.  He joined the Paris Police Department in 1995 as a 911 Dispatcher and became a Police Officer in 1996. Officer Boaz was assigned to North Lamar ISD as a School Resource Officer in February of 2003.

Officer Boaz teaches Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) to Stone Middle School sixth grade students. Working through North Lamar and the Paris Police Department, the program teaches students how to set goals, identify positive role models and learn basic skills to resist gangs, drugs, violence and crime.  In addition to working criminal offenses on campus, Officer Boaz assists the Student Crime Stoppers Program along with school staff. Due to the excellent participation in these programs, situations have been avoided and crimes have been solved. This has made the student/police officer relationship change in many positive ways through the years.

Officer Boaz also teaches Criminal Justice Class.  Criminal justice is a discipline that encompasses the preservation and protection of social order in a free society. It includes such principles as democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism, civil liberties, and the safeguarding of citizens against intimidation and oppression. The Criminal Justice curriculum which is based on the University’s liberal arts core is designed to prepare students for higher education or entering careers in criminal justice. Graduates are expected to continue their personal and professional development in a variety of practical settings. To achieve this mission, four dimensions of development serve as a basis for the curriculum.

Officer Akard is from the Paris area and is a 1989 Prairiland High School graduate.  His law enforcement career started in 1995 with the Paris Police Department.  In August 2003, he was assigned to the patrol division of the police department and as a North Lamar ISD School Resource Officer.

Officer Akard teaches Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) classes to 5th grade students at Bailey Intermediate and Parker Elementary.  The DARE program is a 10 week program that centers around the importance of making good decisions.  It covers topics such as the harmful effects of tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, and inhalants and also covers friendships and peer pressure.  When not teaching DARE, Officer Akard visits Higgins, Everett, Bailey, and Parker campuses to meet with the Kindergarten through 4th grade classes to help build the relationship between the younger students and the resource officers.