Helping people. That is School Resource Officer Brian Soule’s purpose and goal everyday as he walks the halls of DHS. Soule has been a police officer for nine years, and has worked at DHS for three years.
Soule has a passion for the students at DHS. The students are why he does what he does. Before Soule worked in schools, he was a patrol officer. Patrol officers are constantly getting called to bad scenes. They’re writing tickets, going to homes with family issues, dealing with car accidents, and more. Schools have a more positive environment. At DHS, Soule is here for the excitement and energy, and also to help kids when they need it. He is also an assistant coach for baseball in the spring, and loves to connect with students that way, in a different environment.
“I get to know the kids on a different level instead of wearing this uniform,” Soule said. “I try to reach out to the kids before maybe they make these bad decisions, whether it be a criminal matter or something that just could get them in trouble at school or at home. I like being that person they could go to and talk to; being a resource for them.”
No day looks the same on Soule’s calendar. He has a general routine he follows, but things come up everyday that are unexpected. He starts the day off making sure doors are locked up, and making sure nothing is disturbed and out of the ordinary. He then checks both his school and police email, to find any complaints with students. Soule gets notifications about anything that road patrol deals with overnight. For example, domestic violence, and runaways. If he is notified, he checks in with those students to see if they are alright, and what is going on. Soule also covers Woodcrest Elementary school, so it is possible that he could get called there for any assistance needed. At the end of the school day, he usually is done with work and goes home for the evening. On some occasions, he could be called to help with road patrol, but most days his day is done when the students go home.
At home, Soule has three daughters that keep him busier than DHS does. He has two twin girls that are three and a half, and a soon to be two year old girl.
“I’m a family man when I’m not here,” Soule said.
With any good thing, there are hard things that come along. Something particularly difficult that Soule deals with that road patrol officers usually don’t, is social media issues. Some of these issues start in school, but a lot of them extend out of school and with technology. This makes it difficult to track down where information is coming from, and who is sending what. These situations can result in getting search warrants, and this requires a lot of work to track down the information and cause of issues. Although it’s not everyday that Soule deals with this, it is one of the most challenging parts of his job.
Soule not only has a heart to help people with issues that arise, he teaches students in classes to prevent issues before they happen. Soule teaches D.A.R.E. (Drugs Abuse Resistance Education) at Woodcrest Elementary School, along with classes about the Fourth Amendment, and informs students on what their rights are. One of the most rewarding parts of his job is when he forms long-lasting relationships with students.
“I’ll run into kids, and it’s been three years since I taught their D.A.R.E. class and they run up to me and remember my name and talk to me,” Soule said. “I just get to touch base with them and check in to see how things are going.”
Before Soule was a police officer, he worked random jobs that were really repetitive, and he wanted to get more fulfillment out of his job. As a result, he started taking some criminal justice classes at Delta, where one of his professors was a retired Detroit police officer. Through their time spent together and some ride alongs, his professor pointed him in the direction of a police officer. Soule learned that most police officers do what they do to help people, and that is exactly what he wanted to do.
“Ultimately, I’m here to help people, students, staff, and parents,” Soule said. “Whatever I can do. That’s my goal, and that’s why I got into it in the first place.”
