For the first time in many years, Rock Island High School has made the decision to bring back a police officer on the campus. “It is a tremendous opportunity in many ways. It adds another layer of safety and security for our building. It also will allow the RIPD to build lasting relationships to improve the safety and climate of our community,” said Dean Mr. Donald Smith.
Rocky’s new police liaison officer, Officer Thomas Danohf has been a police officer for Illinois for the past 12 years. Officer Danohf explains how much he enjoys being part of the Rock Island High School community, stating, “It’s awesome because I get to meet bright young people.” Danohf likes to spread positivity all around the school by meeting new students, and getting to know everyone. “I like to talk to everyone in the hallways, and say hi to everyone, and if I get a chance to sit in class, I do so,” explains Danohf
Officer Danohf explains that he sees his role at Rocky as a positive one. “The most important attribute that our SRO contributed to is our building climate and culture. We know through research, when individuals feel safe/safer, they will inevitably perform better, no matter the context,” states Smith. He explains how his job is a great opportunity to get to know new people from all over, as he gets to learn new things about the school and the students. “The diverse population is awesome to deal with, too. You get to see and meet people from all sorts of walks of life, and it’s always good to get different perspectives from everyone.” With working in a high school, there are many different challenges, but Officer Danohf tries his best with helping every student. He explains, “Dealing with young adults is always more of a challenge, just because emotions are high, but being able to calm everyone down when having a bad day is always a good thing.”
“He is defined as a School Resource Officer. They are that, a resource. There are many opportunities for him to positively impact day to day operations,” says Smith.
With this new addition to the high school, the hope is that Officer Danohf brings a sense of security and safety to the school.
