Interview by Linda Leiva

Shawn Carll, 49, of New Gloucester is passionate about his job as new school resource officer at Edward Little High School.

His role, he said, is to positively influence students, be a resource for teachers and parents, and keep students safe.

“I am a resource to steer (teens) in the right direction and get them the help they need,” Carll said.

When the issue of cutting the student resource officer positions in Auburn schools was debated several years ago, he said parents responded, “‘Don’t get rid of them!’ The citizens, parents and teachers showed up at the town hall. We have them to thank,” he said.

“For some it is a peace of mind,” he said. “A police officer is a deterrent. There is no way to measure what doesn’t happen. But statistics show that a police officer in a school is a deterrent for criminal activities.”

Carll’s focus is on safety.

“Whenever you have a large population that interacts, whether it is in the community, schools, churches, or neighborhoods, you need to be proactive about protection,” he said. “There are over 1,000 people in the building (at Edward Little) every day so there is more potential (for safety concerns).”

His interest in and concern for safety prompted him to volunteer at his church, East Auburn Baptist, where he is head of security.

“Given the size of the church property, size of the congregation and the clientele in this area, it was determined that we needed (a security team and appropriate training),” he said.

Carll oversees a team, including medical personnel, that is on hand at each of the four services and all special events. The medical team comprises nurses, emergency medical technicians and an anesthesiologist.

“It’s not that church is a dangerous place, but whenever you have that many people together, there is the potential for something. It is situational awareness that is the best to prevent crimes, to have a presence,” he said.

“We did background checks on the team, trained them in self-defense, and how to interact with persons to deter a crime. We have a “hands-off” policy and know when to call the police, if needed. We are trained in emergency evacuation.”

He compares security personnel to sheepdogs protecting the flock.

“Sheepdogs can be scary, they look like dogs and they are not very popular when the wolf is not around,” he said. “But when the wolf is around, we are the most popular one there!”