Stanwood officer honored
By KRISTI PIHL Staff Reporter
Shane Jensen, Stanwood High School's resource officer was named School Officer of the Year. Shane Jensen, Stanwood Police school resource officer, received the School Officer of the Year award from the Washington School Safety Organization. The organization represents security officers, resource officers and school administrators and gives the award to one school resource officer each year.
Stanwood High School (SHS) principal Christine Gruver nominated Jensen for the award.
Jensen deserved recognition for all he does for the high school, Gruver said. He has created preventative programs, which involve him speaking to health and traffic safety classes, talking with students during discipline situations and planning the mock DUI assembly.
As a part of the crisis team, Jensen helped create and update the school safety plan and plan drills for SHS staff, she said. In addition, Jensen oversees the security camera system and supervises activities.
"He cares for the students and tries to create preventative programs so they can make the right choices and not end up in trouble," Gruver said.
The award came as a complete surprise, Jensen said.
Jensen started as the school resource officer for the Stanwood-Camano School District six years ago. At the time, Jensen said he knew he enjoyed working with teenagers, and wanted to give the position a try.
Jensen said he found the position fit his personality and abilities well. He's enjoyed the autonomy all school resource officers tend to have in defining their role in a school district.
As a resource officer, Jensen said he serves as a resource for students and staff at the schools. He mentors individual students, and teaches classes about drugs and alcohol, harassment, city driving, traffic stops, search and seizure, and other topics that may come up.
Although Jensen spends most of his time at the high school, he works in all schools in the district.
Jensen hopes to impact students' views of the police. Some of the students he has worked with changed their lives for the better. Having them come back to see him and tell him how they changed is a rewarding part of the job, he said.
Jensen spends extra hours at SHS, Gruver said. For example, this spring, he was one of the volunteers who put together safety buckets for classrooms.
"Shane goes above and beyond his duties to help staff and students," she said.
