School safety has been of great concern around the country lately, which is why we should be glad to be adding two new officers to the CHS campus this year. Officers Ingram and Hart will be on campus full-time beginning this year to help ensure the safety of students and staff here at CHS.

Officer Patrick Ingram, 25, has been in law enforcement with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Department for 5 years after graduating from Cass High School in 2011. He recently applied to be a member of K9 unit and began his training in May with Officer Hart. Officer Hart is a Belgian Malinois, which resembles a German Shepherd, but has longer hair and is slightly smaller. Officer Hart is just under 2 years old and began formal training in February in Pennsylvania after being bred in the Czech Republic. Officers Ingram and Hart have a close relationship, although it is professional. When asked about the nature of their relationship, Ingram responded, “It’s work but [Officer Hart] loves me… we have a great bond together.”

Beginning in May of 2018, Officers Hart and Ingram spent 2 months in New Mexico training and spending lots of time together. Officer Hart’s bite and sense of smell were intensely trained. Officer Hart and Officer Ingram still train together every week in an effort to keep Hart’s senses at their best and to keep their bond tight. Officer Ingram bragged on his partner, saying that he has a great nose and exquisite bite-work.

Although Officer Ingram is excited to be here at CHS, he believes it will take some adjusting. Being a resource officer is a lot different than the 5 years Ingram spent on patrol. Officer Ingram now works from about 7-4:30, as opposed to the 12-hour shifts of patrol officers. Also, learning the large campus of CHS is a big task.

Officers Ingram and Hart can be seen around school or in their office throughout the day, as well as at home football games. The presence of the new officers is directly correlated with growing concerns about safety at schools around the country.

Even though it’s tempting, students should not attempt to pet Officer Hart or get too close. Respect the space of the officers, as they have an important job to do. Officer Ingram’s primary motivation is “…staff and student safety. That’s the key goal here.”

We should all welcome Officers Hart and Ingram to CHS with open arms, as they are here for our benefit and safety. Many students and staff have already warmly welcomed the new officers to campus, including Officer Lusian, who said, “I like having another officer on campus… making [school] safer is the goal.” We should all echo Officer Lusian’s sentiment as we show our new officers what it’s like to be Cartersville Purple Hurricanes.