For many students, SROs are the face of law enforcement -- people they know are there to keep them safe. School resource officers have been an integral part of Broward County Public Schools for many years; they work very hard ensuring the safety and security of Broward's 271,000 public school students. And no one is a better example of this than Officer Frantz Petitpapa of the Wilton Manors Police Department. Officer Petitpapa was recently honored as the 2003 Broward County School Resource Officer of the Year at the 18th Annual SRO Breakfast.

Drug Abuse and Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) and the Truancy Reduction and Intervention Program (T.R.I.P.) are all extremely important initiatives underway each and every day of the school year. But did you ever stop to think whose responsibility it is to coordinate and operate these programs at your school? The answer is: your School Resource Officer (SRO). The District's SROs are charged with performing law enforcement functions within the schools, promoting positive relationships between students and law enforcement personnel and preventing truancy and juvenile delinquency. These programs are just a few of the ways they accomplish their goals.

Officer Petitpapa wears two hats. Working in one of the county's smaller jurisdictions, Officer Petitpapa is both the SRO for Wilton Manors Elementary and the Juvenile Officer for the City of Wilton Manors. He's a role model for all of the children in the city. Being of Haitian descent, he plays a particularly important role in the lives of the school's Haitian students. He is often seen with his arm around a child, giving out "high fives" or just talking quietly, offering encouragement.

Officer Petitpapa regularly attends school improvement and PTA meetings to offer his assistance to parents and school staff. He also conducts daily truant sweeps throughout the city to keep children in school and out of harm's way. And Officer Petitpapa - who has worked for the city since 1998 - does it all because he enjoys his job. "I was so honored to be recognized for something I enjoy doing," said Officer Petitpapa. "Winning this award really puts an exclamation point on what I enjoy most, which is working with kids."

In his off hours, Officer Petitpapa coaches soccer, football, baseball and basketball youth leagues. He also organizes a bicycle rodeo where he teaches bicycle safety tips to children and distributes new helmets to children who can't afford to buy their own.

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