Safety, trust, and connection are built every day by those who shape students’ experiences – and among them are four dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs). These officers do far more than wear a badge; they serve as mentors, role models, and constant sources of support for students.
Gahanna Police Officers Ken Bills, J.D. Gillespie, Crystal Jones, and Gary Lawrence are a daily presence in Gahanna schools, working to create safe, welcoming environments where students feel seen and supported. Whether walking the halls, chatting with students, or providing traffic control, each officer brings a unique approach to building meaningful relationships within the schools.
City of Gahanna
Gahanna School Resource Officers (L to R): Ken Bills, J.D. Gillespie, Crystal Jones, and Gary Lawrence
Officers Bills, Gillespie, and Lawrence are based at Gahanna Lincoln High School (GLHS), with one floating between the City’s other public and private schools. Officer Jones splits her time between Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools’ (GJPS) middle schools and elementary schools within the City. For all four, becoming an SRO was a natural extension of their passion for working with youth.
“I’m a travel baseball coach, and I’ve coached most of my life,” said Bills. “I’m with kids on a day-to-day basis. I just figured it would transition well to my work.”
No two days are exactly alike for the SROs, but their presence is consistent and valued. In the mornings and afternoons, the GLHS-based officers assist with traffic control, ensuring students and staff arrive and leave safely. Throughout the day, they monitor their assigned areas of the building and remain ready to respond to any situation that arises.
Yet, for each officer, the most meaningful part of their work is simply being there for students.
“I purposely try to meet and talk to as many kids as possible,” Gillespie said. “We talk about everything. We don’t just talk about school – it’s life stuff, jobs, and family stuff at times. They get pretty comfortable having personal conversations with you.”
Added Lawrence, “It gives the kids a better perspective of who we are as humans and police officers. We’ve created relationships with kids – with some who start out as freshmen really struggling because they’re growing and maturing – and then they realize they can come talk to us. Now they greet us and fist bump us when we see them in the hallways.”
That familiar connection will carry over into the new Gahanna Lincoln High School building, when the second semester of this school year begins in January.
“The new building is going to be amazing,” said Lawrence. “It’s going to be like our new police department. It’s unbelievable. It’s kind of like everybody is just waiting for that new car to come in January. It’s pretty exciting.”
While Bills, Gillespie and Lawrence prepare for the transition to the new high school, Jones is making an impact within GJPS’s younger grades. In her first year as an SRO, she also teaches classes three days a week in the middle schools on topics such as drug and alcohol prevention and internet safety.
“I have all the materials that were previously used, but I’m trying to update them and make them a little more relevant to today and a little more enjoyable for the kids,” she said.
That work comes on the heels of her working alongside Sergeant Kaylea Pertz, and in partnership with the District and the Mifflin Township Fire Department, to lead Gahanna in becoming only the second Franklin County community to launch the Handle With Care program.
Handle With Care allows first responders to confidentially alert school officials when a student has experienced a traumatic incident, without sharing any specific details. The message, sent before the next school day, simply advises educators to “handle the student with care.” The student’s name and age are the only pieces of information shared, ensuring privacy while enabling school staff to respond with understanding and support.
“I think the more heads up a school can have with the teachers, administrators, support staff – anyone who would be in contact with that student – just sets them up for a more positive and successful school environment,” Jones said.
When students are not in school, all four SROs enjoy reconnecting with students and families around the community – whether at athletic events or other events such as the City’s Independence Day Celebration and the Great Gahanna Goblin Fest. During the summer months, the officers spend their days focusing on traffic enforcement and bike patrols, continuing their community engagement in a different way.
But their hearts remain with the schools, and all four officers hope to continue in their roles for years to come.
“I enjoy it,” said Bills. “I enjoy getting to know different people at the school, and I enjoy being able to talk with them.”
“A lot of people don’t interact with the police very often, so they have these preconceived notions about things we do, or they don’t understand why we do certain things,” Gillespie added. “I think the more we can have those conversations in school and in the community, and build those relationships, people will be more comfortable asking us questions or commenting about something they heard.”
Dan Pearlman is the Communications Manager for the City of Gahanna.
