Meet Officer Cannon

As you may know, the Reno Police Department and Reno Elementary School have a partnership dedicated to the safety of our students and staff members. RES now has a full-time School Resources Officer on campus to provide both a police presence and an immediate response to any potential emergency. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a bit about my professional background. I have been in law enforcement for 25 years and have served in a variety of positions. I hold certifications as a Master Peace Officer, a police instructor, a mental health officer, and multiple levels of crime prevention. I
served as Team Leader for the North Tarrant Regional SWAT Hostage Negotiations Unit, and I am on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators. I retired from the Southlake Police Department in December 2019.

After about 1½ years of retirement, I was anxious to return to police work. I had a desire to work in a smaller department in a rural area. The Reno Police Department was a great fit and I have been here for 8 months. Since taking the SRO position at Reno Elementary, I have received amazing support from the staff and students at RES. I get constant high fives and hugs from the kids. They have expressed their pleasure at having their very own officer at the school.

After the recent tragedy that occurred in a nearby town, many have expressed concern about the safety of their own children. With that in mind, I wanted to share some safety information with you. First let me say that you and your child can be proactive and do everything right yet still be a victim. The best any parent can do is making every attempt to minimize the risk. Avoid posting photos of your children to social media that display the child’s school, church, or sports team. When posting photos of your home, make sure to blur the address or street name. Any personal information can be useful to child predator. Talk to your children about strangers and what they should do when approached. Make a plan within your family so that when you and your child become separated, they know your telephone number and address. With elementary age
children, its also critical that they know the name of their parents. When asked, many children will say your name is mom & dad.

On Monday, December 19th, all grade levels participated in a “stranger danger” presentation. The PK & kindergarten ages also heard about how to call 911 in an emergency. We ask that you discuss this presentation with your children to confirm they have committed the information to memory. By working together as parents, law enforcement, and educators we can ensure that our community is safe during this holiday season.