As the new school semester rolled in, FCHS was introduced to its new SRO (School Resource Officer), Lacorie Steppe. Steppe has been a Virginia resident his entire life. He graduated from Charlottesville High School and has been a police officer for two and a half years. He chose to work in Fluvanna County due to its small size and low crime rate. Due to his predecessor leaving the high school, Steppe has taken up the role as an SRO.

Steppe described an SRO a as “an officer that is a resource. An SRO is someone who supports the staff and students, is that first-hand person that helps not only law enforcement-wise, but also academically,” said Steppe. He added that involves “being in a classroom and talking to kids and letting them know that we’re here to help them and not be the bad guy,” he said.

Steppe’s inspiration for being a school resource officer stems from his passion for working with kids. “I work with kids all the time whether it’s in this uniform, in a recreational uniform, or as a referee. Anything that involves assisting kids who are our future, that’s what I enjoy the most.” Steppe mentioned that he officiated several sports such as high school basketball and football along with college basketball.

Law enforcement, Steppe says, “is a calling. It’s a very high demand and dangerous job. I say if anyone is getting into law enforcement, then don’t do it for the money. If your heart is there, you’re truly wanting to help people, and do the right thing, then this is the job for you. If not, if you have any doubt whatsoever, then it’s not for you,” said Steppe.

His goal at FCHS is ”to incorporate certain programs into the school. The biggest one that I’m trying to push now is the Explorer’s Program,” said Steppe. This involves “being able to teach the ones who want to go into law enforcement and explaining to them what it entails. From a legal standpoint it means giving them all the facts and details so they can expand their knowledge and know what they’re getting into if they do want to go into criminal justice. So of all the programs that I want to incorporate into the school, that’s probably the biggest one right now that I’m working on at the moment,” he said.

Although the minimum commitment for working as a school resource officer is three years, Steppe plans on working at FCHS beyond that. “Our office says typically three years is the minimum, because you get overwhelmed. I disagree only because if you’re proactive and avoid focusing on charging and going through the courts, there’s so many other things you can do in the school. You can be overwhelmed if you don’t have support, so by having that support from the school and staff, it’s unlikely that you’ll be overwhelmed. It’s just all about communication and having everyone on the same page,” he said.

For any parents or students who wish to contact Steppe, he can be reached at 434-589-8212 and [email protected].