Catawba County Employee Spotlight
Josh Robertson-School Resource Officer (Deputy Sheriff)
Title: School Resource Officer/Deputy Sheriff
Department: Sheriff’s Office
How long have you worked with the county?
I have worked for the Sheriff’s Office for 8 ½ years
What does your job involve? Please describe what you do.
My job involves working with the kids of Catawba County. I am primarily over the Bunker Hill Feeder Elementary Schools (Oxford, Claremont and Lyle Creek with the exception of Webb A. Murray). I travel to at least 2 of these schools a day and I try to split my time up as evenly as possible unless one of the schools needs me or has a special function going on. Growing up in the Bunker Hill area and having my wife and kids go to the same schools makes me enjoy helping the citizens a little bit more than most. I will spend my day walking the halls to make sure all the exterior doors are secure and speak to the kids as they walk by in the hallway. Our goal is to show the kids that we are their friend and we are there to keep them safe. Sometimes we get to go in and read to the students and try to help them with their work. If it is nice out, I will try and go outside and run and play with the kids. They need to know we are human behind the badge and gun. I also have the opportunity to help coach sports with our kids. I have been an assistant softball coach with Bunker Hill High School for four years now.
What do you like most about what you do, and why?
What do I like the most about what I do? Being able to give back to the community I grew up in is an awesome thing to be able to do. Knowing almost everyone in the community makes my job a lot easier when the time comes that one of the schools is in need. I have been blessed with donations to help give over 60 children a nice Christmas last year. I have been able to purchase simple things like new outdoor sports equipment, basic school items and clothes for children in need. I reached out on Facebook that I wanted to start handing out stuffed animals and toys to children and families during trying times and within a few months I was able to collect almost 1,000 stuffed animals and toys. I was able to go to each school and walk the halls this past Christmas as Santa and the Grinch. I love to walk inside and outside the schools to see where we can improve the situations for the kids. For example, I noticed that the students at one of the schools were not using the outdoor basketball goals and I saw that they were busted. I was able to reach out to a church member and was able to purchase new balls and brand new basketball goals. At another school I was able to purchase several new outdoor balls for the kids to enjoy at recess. It gives me great pleasure to know that I have the community’s help. It has also been a blessing as a Resource Officer to not only be at the schools as an Officer but to be a mentor to some of the kids. I always have an open door policy and if any of the students or teachers have any questions or just want to come in and talk they know they are always welcome.
Which of the county’s core values (doing what’s right, doing what matters, doing it together, doing it well) resonates most with you in the work you do, and why?
Which one of the County’s core values means the most to me? I would have to choose two of them. Doing it together and doing it well stand out the most for me. I get a lot of recognition for the things that I do in our county but I can’t do it alone. I may schedule something to be done or send several texts or emails to make sure we get what we need but it takes family, friends and a great community to make it happen. I honestly could not do what I do without the support of my community and the Sheriff’s Office letting me get out into the schools and neighborhoods to do what I love to do. It makes me appreciate community policing. The other core value is doing it well. If I set out to do something, I may send several emails to different companies or many texts to friends and family until my goal is met. I have several companies in the county that love to help out the community. I had someone ask me one time how I was able to get the items and money I need to complete all these things and I told them that I am not afraid to ask for help. I know I can’t do it alone. It takes all of us to make things happen and we need to all work together to complete our goals.