School Resource Officer

Watson, Sam

Contact Information: 
[email protected] 
(269) 659-1533

My name is Sam Watson and I have been the school resource officer for Sturgis Public Schools since 2016. I have the privilege of working with students of all grade levels, and I work at all of the Sturgis Public School buildings in the district. I am currently a police officer with the Sturgis Police Department, and I have worked in this capacity since 2012. In my time at the Sturgis Police Department, I have worked both as a road patrol officer and as a Crime Scene Technician wit h the St. Joseph County Major Crimes Task Force unit. I am a graduate of Sturgis High School, and I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Olivet College. My wife is a Sturgis Public Schools kindergarten teacher, and we have a daughter and son that will be future Trojans.

 My goal when I joined the Sturgis Police Department was to become the school resource officer for Sturgis Public Schools. I volunteered to become the SRO because I want to encourage our students to make positive decisions and help them if there are any issues. As the school resource officer my goals are to be an informal mentor, educator, role model, and law enforcement officer for the students in this district. My hope is through teaching law related education I can help prevent criminal behavior in our schools, and help promote positive interactions between students, staff, parents, and law enforcement. I currently hold a national Basic SRO Certificate and Advanced SRO Certificate with the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and I became a National School Resource Officer Practitioner with NASRO in 2019.  

I am blessed to be working with our students, staff, and parents throughout the school year to help make their experiences positive.

 

Community Youth Involvement:

  • Director of Sturgis Safety Town which is located at Wall School
  • Mentor for the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy at Fort Custer in Battle Creek
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor
  • Coordinator of the Sturgis Police Department Explorers Program
  • Assistant varsity football coach and assistant varsity baseball coach at Sturgis High School since 2012