3 Child Safety Tips from a School Resource Officer
One of the most important responsibilities parents have is serving as a protector of their children. Officer Rod Payne — CCA Hollywood’s SRO, former NFL player, and father — draws from his life experiences to share a risk assessment that consists of three simple yet profound questions that will help parents develop greater insight into their child’s safety and well-being.
In the game of football, the offensive line allows for position players to thrive by blocking and creating opportunities for them to make great plays.
If you think about it, God is like our offensive line. He is always on our line of scrimmage, helping us up when we fall down and making a way for us to live an abundant life through His son Jesus Christ. Stories in the Bible like Jesus calming the storm and David and Goliath are examples of God being a protector. And here at Calvary Christian Academy Hollywood (CCAH), we are fortunate to have a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) who takes on this kind of role for our school community.
Officer Payne’s role as a protector has varied throughout the years — from protecting the quarterback on the 2000 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens team, to protecting celebrities, his children, and CCA Hollywood’s students and staff. He credits his time on the football field and being raised by a military veteran as experiences that helped him discover that God had wired him to serve others by protecting them.
“Officer Payne’s presence on campus has created a safer environment.”
As an SRO at CCA Hollywood, Officer Payne has been through intensive training to respond in emergency situations and on proper firearm safety in schools and around children. Throughout the school week, he monitors the more than 25 security cameras on campus while building and maintaining relationships with the students.
“Officer Payne’s presence on campus has created a safer environment. He walks the hallways, pokes his head in classrooms, and we see him on the playground in the afternoons,” said Tracy Reeder, a first grade teacher at CCA Hollywood. “My students know who he is and love him! They have built a relationship with him. They even want to bless him with a cupcake when we have birthday celebrations in class.”
Prior to joining the Calvary family as an SRO, Officer Payne used the knowledge he gained from the University of Michigan’s Kinesiology and Sports Management program to open up a gym and train athletes at all levels to be great. At another point in his career as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Florida Atlantic University, he was able to teach collegiate athletes the value of protecting and training the human body. Additionally, he currently serves on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ National Speaking Committee and as a chaplain for collegiate and professional football teams.
Discipline and structure play a fundamental role in any form of protection.
With the wisdom he has gained over the years from his professional and personal life experiences, Officer Payne has three tips to help parents assess risk in their children’s life for the purpose of keeping them safe and secure so they can happily thrive. His risk assessment consists of three questions parents should be asking themselves on a regular basis:
1. People — Who is my child hanging out with?
2. Places — What places is my child frequenting?
3. Things — What activities is my child partaking in?
2. Places — What places is my child frequenting?
3. Things — What activities is my child partaking in?
Discipline and structure play a fundamental role in any form of protection. At the line of scrimmage in football, in order for the offensive line to successfully protect, there needs to be effective communication and technique that is achieved through the discipline of training.
“Awareness, discipline, structure, and open communication all go a very long way when it comes to ensuring children’s safety and steering them toward the right path,” Officer Payne said. “Sometimes we as parents have to make tough decisions that will not be popular in our children’s eyes, but that’s okay, because God has entrusted their lives to us, and we have their best interest in mind.”
“. . . God has entrusted their lives to us, and we have their best interest in mind.”
Another aspect of security that should not be overlooked is spiritual security, Officer Payne said. This kind of security comes with knowing you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and that you will spend eternity in heaven with Him after this life passes.
Parents who choose a Christian education for their children that is ultimately rooted in God’s Word and values are ultimately pointing their child toward spiritual security. In Christ-centered schools led by adult educators who love the Lord, students have a safe space to grow deeper in their faith by discovering who Jesus is and His plan for their lives.
“For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'” –Jeremiah 29:11
Thank God we never have to question God’s protection in our lives. We can count on Him to show up at the line of scrimmage, snap after snap, and assure us of His goodness. He protects us through others living out His purpose for their lives, as evidenced through Officer Payne’s life and service to the CCA Hollywood community.
Interested in learning more about how Calvary Christian Academy Hollywood partners with parents to empower students to reach their spiritual, academic, and social potential? Fill out this inquiry form today!
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