Norwich — As soon as the Board of Education voted in January to bring back school resource officers to middle schools, Norwich police Officer Robert J. McKinney got out his resume and prepared his interview answers.

His preparations paid off. McKinney, and Officer Heather Meikle, both nine-year Norwich police veterans, were named Wednesday as the new school resource officers, with Officer Jared Homand named to fill in during their time off.

On Thursday, McKinney toured his assigned Teachers’ Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School, and Meikle greeted students at Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School as they decorated classroom doors for Black History Month.

“One girl already asked me when I’m going to have lunch with her,” Meikle said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

The officers then visited their assigned elementary schools. While they will work mostly at the middle schools, each also is assigned four elementary schools. Meikle will work with the Bishop Early Learning Center preschool and the Samuel Huntington, Uncas and Veterans’ Memorial elementary schools. McKinney will work with the John B. Stanton, John Moriarty, Thomas Mahan and Wequonnoc elementary schools.

All three officers will undergo SRO training next week and the two SROs will return to their schools March 7.

Both officers said Thursday they were drawn to the SRO position for the chance to build positive relationships with city youths. They have seen how former Norwich police Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, officers and past SROs still are greeted warmly by adults who got to know them in elementary school.

McKinney recalled how his grandfather, veteran New London firefighter Joe Nott Sr., would drop to one knee to talk at eye level with young children.

“He was my idol,” McKinney said. “He coached baseball and always loved working with kids. To see kids come up to him and respect him, I always wanted to be like that.”

Meikle stressed that the SROs want to be counselors and friends, not disciplinarians.

“Our goal, 100%, without a doubt is to keep the kids out of the juvenile justice system,” she said.

McKinney, 37, who lives in Oakdale, is a member of the Norwich Community Policing Unit, serves as a de-escalation instructor and chairs the Juvenile Review Board. He is a Youth Advisory Board member and oversees the Recovery Coach Program and the Social Work Intern Program. He sits on the Norwich Free Academy attendance committee.

Meikle, 32, of Salem has worked with the Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and advanced DUI enforcement. She has served with Norwich Youth and Family Services in programs at Wequonnoc Elementary School and the Integrated Day Charter School. She has advanced training on sexual assault crimes, human trafficking and the Governor’s Task Force on Justice for Abused Children.

Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow and Assistant Superintendent Tamara Gloster participated in the SRO interviews and selection. The officers will be paid for in the school district's operating budget. The school board eliminated the previous SRO program several years ago in budget cuts.

In a letter to parents Wednesday night, Stringfellow stressed that the goal will be to reduce juvenile arrests in city schools and decrease chronic absenteeism, reduce incidents when students are asked to leave classes and reduce suspensions and expulsions.

c.bessette@theday.com