Lampasas Police Department officer Carlos Rodriguez has started his first year working as a school resource officer at the high school.

“When I was in high school and middle school myself, I was close to my school resource officer,” Rodriguez said. “They were a big influence on me, and I looked up to them. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Before this, Rodriguez worked around two and a half years at the Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office. Now, he is going on a little over three years with the Lampasas County Police Department. 

“I became a school resource officer back in October, November of last year,” Rodriguez said. “I started with Taylor Creek Elementary. You know, you got your pre-k through fifth grade, compared to your freshmen and seniors. It’s two very different things.”

His goals for the year are to bring awareness to students about the effects and consequences of using illegal substances. 

“THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and nicotine is bad for you,” Rodriguez said. “There are going to be consequences if you get caught with it. I just want to bring awareness to it, and let students know it is a felony if you are caught with it.”

When there was a fight in the cafeteria, Rodriguez and Principal Paul Weinheimer jumped to action.

“Everything happened quite fast, but Officer Rodriguez and the APs handled everything in a peaceful and quick manner,” sophomore Cinai Testamark said. 

While Rodriguez misses being a patrolling officer, he is enjoying his time here. He hopes to impact students the way his resource officers impacted him.

“I see myself being a school resource officer for the next few years,” Rodriguez said. “I’m definitely enjoying the job so far, and I love the community here.”