PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — At JW Mitchell High School in Trinity, there is a lot of ground to cover, and lots of students to keep an eye on.
“Just shy of 2,300 kids here,” said School Resource Officer, Corporal Don Greene.
And when tragedy strikes at other schools, Cpl. Greene feels it.
“It hits home. You know what you are going to do if it ever happened and rely back on your training,” he said.
Greene also helps coach the football team.
He knows so many of the teens very well.
He says after the latest school shooting in Texas, many students come to him for answers including some of his players.
“They were angry, they wanted to know what was going on. Then you’ll have some kids that will come in and they’ll be teared up, wanting to know any information that you have,” he said.
Even though there aren’t any threats for this last week of school in Pasco County, the sheriff’s office is still stepping up it’s presence.
Sheriff Chris Nocco says it’s “out of an abundance of caution.”
Right now Elementary schools don’t have full time SRO’s, so deputies will do extra patrols at those schools.
The hiring process is already underway to add full-time security guards to elementary schools for next year.
Middle and high schools have their SRO’s on campus and will have more deputies come if needed.
“I love my students. I love my families. I would never want to have to experience any kind of tragedies even remotely similar to what happened at Parkland or Santa Fe or any of the schools that experienced school shootings in the last 20-25 years,” said Mitchell principal Jessica Schultz.
It’s a busy time at Pasco County schools, from final exams to graduation.
And through it all, Cpl. Greene wants to make sure all his kids stay safe.
