Then-elementary-schooler Caroline Townsend would listen in amazement to her highway patrolman grandpa’s stories of who he pulled over that day or the newest evidence her detective uncle was analyzing for a case at family gatherings.
Now-senior Caroline will get to run the plates of cars like ones her grandpa pulled over or enter the data her uncle would use for his cases through her job as a dispatcher.
Inspired by her family members’ role in law enforcement, Caroline decided to apply to be a dispatcher at the Prairie Village Police Department after graduation. She plans to attend the University of Kansas to get a three-year-bachelor-degree in criminal justice while being a dispatcher. Caroline will be answering 911 calls along with running tags on pulled over cars, entering data on calls or activities, watching street light cameras and communicating with officers in her job as a dispatcher.
“Growing up, my family’s life was really interesting to me,” Caroline said. “I’ve always thought, ‘I really want to do [law enforcement], I really hope I can.’”
The Student Resource Officers have also been incredibly influential and supportive for Caroline’s passion for law enforcement, according to Caroline’s dad William Townsend.
Whether it was simple conversations about their workdays that showed her the compassion people have in the field or the two encouraging her to apply, they helped push her towards a career in law-enforcement.
William always wanted one of his kids to follow in their family’s tradition of police force jobs. However, he had always thought it would be his son to follow the footsteps — not Caroline.
“I was kind of shocked [when she first told me],” William said. “I was also kind of worried for her personal being, but I’m gonna back her up 100% on what she wants to do.”
After receiving her bachelors she wants to join the police academy to become an officer and eventually work her way up to detective status — just like the ones that came before her.
School Resource Officers Tony Woollen and Jeremy Shull kick off every Thursday morning with a flavorful tradition: burritos. Before classes start at 8:40 a.m., they turn on the skillet in their third floor office and start scrambling eggs and cooking sausage to put in 30 to 35 breakfast burritos for…
For the biggest tradition of the school year, students from various activities dressed up and marched in a parade down Mission Road starting at 1 p.m. Each activity and class had a float and chose an occupation to dress up and decorate for to go with this year's theme: "Lancers…
Lancer Day is a yearly tradition that typically falls on a day towards the end of August or beginning of September. This year, Lancer Day took place on Thursday, Aug. 31, and began at 1 p.m. Each year, the students of SM East dress up and march down Mission Road.…
Senior Emmerson Winfrey is in her fourth and final year on Harbinger and can’t wait to be a copy editor and writer one last time. She’s usually pounding a celsius at deadline or rewriting her lede for the 5th time. But, when she’s not having an existential crisis in the J-room she’s probably at a concert, stressing over her AP Gov reading or online shopping. »
she is amazing!!!
Very impressive! Custom Song That Tells Your Story
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