This article was published in the 2010-11 fall Southerner newsmagazine.

Officer James Loveland’s job is filled with interactions with students and staff. From his morning walk-through of the school where he greets staff and students as he goes, Loveland continues to talk with students, staff and community members until after the final bell rings. Along with keeping the school safe, Loveland sees connecting with the South community as extremely important.

Loveland is not a security guard; he has been a Minneapolis police officer for over 14 years. He has previously worked with patrols, narcotics, undercover, and even trained and worked with horses. Now, as well as covering South, he also responds to calls within a two block radius of the school.

At South, Loveland said his main goal is “to protect the student body.” Loveland said he also strives to engage students and build positive relationships with students and people in the community. His favorite part about South is “interaction with students and staff.”

Loveland spends a lot of one-on-one time with students and tries to improve the overall safety of the school. “I’m not always enforcing policies,” said Loveland, “I’m mostly just getting to know the kids.”

Loveland does carry around normal police equipment and wears a uniform. Loveland feels that it’s necessary that students see him like this. “That way there’s no confusion,” he explained. Loveland said he needs these tools as an officer, especially to deal with external threats. However, he said that for him, having to use these tools would be “the ultimate terrible experience.”

But Loveland isn’t just the school cop. He works closely with the adapted sports teams and even gives escorts to class at students’ requests. He also gives presentations to classes, for example the Health classes, where he educates students on drunk driving and drug abuse.

Loveland’s most recent project for South is getting new, free car seats for students with children in the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPPP).

“I’m not just here to police the school,” Loveland said.

Loveland also works part-time at Bancroft and Seward elementary schools. There, he spends his time reading to children and building positive relationships with the students.

Loveland tries to build positive relationships with students. “There are a lot of stereotypes and false perceptions about police officers,” he admitted. Part of the reason he is here is to help people get over those stereotypes, he said.

Officer Loveland describes himself as both a resource for staff and students, and a spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department. “I’m very happy to here [at South],” he said, “I hope to be here for at least the next four years.”