Const. Taylor Olenic chats with a student at Medicine Hat High School. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

By Chris Brown

School resource officers a listening ear and friendly source of advice for students

Oct 4, 2022 | 5:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Const. Taylor Olenic bled green when he was a student at Medicine Hat High School.

Thirteen years after graduating, he’s back at the school doing what he can to help those who are currently bleeding green.

“It’s great,” he says. “Seeing some old faces whether that be faculty, staff, is awesome and like I said being able to support that green colour is great and it’s always good to be able to get back to your roots.”

Olenic is one of three school resource officers (SRO) with the Medicine Hat Police Service. He joins Const. Brent Bohrn, who is in his first year as an SRO at Crescent Heights High School, and Const. Keegan Clarke, who is at Monsignor McCoy High School, Notre Dame Academy and St. Mary’s School in the Catholic school division.

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Clarke is the veteran of the group, in his third year as an SRO. He’s now seeing kids in high school that he first encountered in junior high

“I’ve been able to develop some really good relationships over the years and … you feel, you know, pride when you see these kids walk through like you’ve been a part of their lives and a part of their school journey,” he says. “It’s very rewarding.”

Const. Keegan Clarke gives a presentation to a class at Notre Dame Academy. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

SROs deal with everything from student mediation on cyberbullying and harassment to meeting with parents and guardians and doing presentations and organizing lockdown drills.

The three agree the biggest part of the job is building relationships with students

“A lot of them will come in, pop into my office just to say hi and chat about their weekend or their sports that night, that sort of thing,” says Bohrn. “And then we’re walking around the schools during the break times and at lunch and get to interact with the kids.

“We have some opportunity to play games with the kids like in gym class that sort of thing or if there’s like a grad versus teacher sporting event we’ll partake in that just show the kids that we’re real people too and that we’re approachable and we’re here to help them.”

Const. Brent Bohrn at visits with students at Crescent Heights High School. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

Clarke says being a school resource officer is more than just being a police officer.

“You’re there as like a listening ear so sometimes it’s just, you know, kids just want to come and chat, ask advice,” he says. “It can be tough when you see these students go through some tough times and when they come to you with sometimes they have had things happening in their life that can be heartbreaking right so you’re just trying to help them out and do whatever you can to make it better.”

Barely a month into his role as an SRO, Olenic says he’s had a lot of interaction with students. A student himself not long ago, he remembers teenage years can be a tough part of life with many stressors in and out of school.

He tries to connect with the youth by leaning on their shared Hat High experience.

“I was a Grade 10 student once and I like to make those jokes with my students as well and just let them know that I was also in your footsteps at one point, made some mistakes and you know learn from that.”