This year, School Resource Officer, Sergeant Arney is a new addition to the staff at Berkley High School. He has put a lot of effort into keeping Berkley High School a safe environment for both staff and students, and he will continue to do so. The interview that follows explores his job and history working in the police force.

Motivation for Joining the Police Force
When asked about his reasons for wanting to join the police force, Sergeant Arney explained, “I wanted a career that would be different each day I went to work and something that I could do that would help the community. I looked into law enforcement and decided to take a criminal justice class to see if it would be something I liked. The class I took was great and that was when I decided that I wanted to be a police officer.” Sergeant Arney shares that he has had a lot of experience in the police force, saying that, “My previous roles at Berkley Public Safety include starting as a Public Safety Officer (policeman and firefighter), then I was promoted to Sergeant and being in charge of a shift on patrol. In addition to being the union president, I work in community relations, I conduct background investigations for new employees, I’m one of the detectives, I’m an instructor at the police academy, I’m trained as an evidence technician (forensics), an ALICE instructor, and I am now the school resource officer.” Sargeant Arney has had many jobs, which has put him in crazy situations. He says that, “Something crazy in my law enforcement career is saving someone’s life. It’s happened a few times between me working for the Detroit Police Department and the Berkley Public Safety Department. Any time that you do your job, and it results in someone being alive because of it is pretty crazy.”
Decision to Work as a School Resource Officer
Now let’s see his decision to work a full time career as a police officer. Sergeant Arney stated that it was, “To provide additional safety and be an additional resource to assist administration, staff and students with problems. Also to build a better relationship between students and the police department.”
Transition to School Resource Officer
After reflecting on his past with the police force, Sergeant Arney goes on to explain why he became a school resource officer here at BHS.
“I really liked the relationships that were built during my visits to the schools over the last few years,” said Arney. “I thought if I could do this full-time, that I could do even better and make a difference. I also work at all of the schools in the Berkley School District. I just spend most of my time at BHS. This is my first time working full-time in a school. Over the last several years handling juvenile crimes in the Detective Bureau, I would visit schools on a regular basis.”
A Day in the Life of Sergeant Arney
What does a day in the life of Sergeant Arney look like? Sergeant Arney shares by saying, “It starts by coming into the school and checking emails. Then I will go to the ‘T’ and greet students as they come in. After that I walk the halls, stop in some classrooms or go to visit other schools. I will also assist the School Admin with handling any problems that occur in the school. I may conduct interviews if there was a report of an incident that occurred. I also talk to students as a mentor if they are having problems in school or at home. I try to recognize potential problems and handle them before they become a major problem. I consult with the school district and the public safety department regarding school security to make sure that all of the schools in the district are a safe place for kids to learn and staff to work.” He also shares that his favorite part of the job is, “helping people and getting the students to understand that [he’s] here for them, not because of them.”
Sergeant Arney has been a great addition to our school and is available for us to talk to about any issues we are having. He helps make staff and students comfortable in their school and community and want to keep coming back.