Highlight: School Resource Officers

Cody Combs, a student resource officer who serves Elmdale, Westwood, Smith, Shaw and

George Elementary Schools as well as the Early Childhood Center, is sore. Not mad. Sore. Why is he

sore? Because some staff members at Elmdale talked him into starting Crossfit.

“I’ve been doing it for two weeks and I go to bed sore every night,” Combs says. “I have a love-

hate relationship with Crossfit. I know I am bettering myself but the soreness doesn’t go away.”

How long until the soreness is gone?

“I was told two weeks but it has been a little more than two weeks,” Combs responds.

“It took me two months,” says Elmdale social worker Lindsey Odglen, one of those who does

Crossfit with Combs. “I’ve been doing it for three years now.”

Combs adds, “The coach, Tony Shipp, is fantastic. He is very knowledgeable and the most

patient person I know. Police officers are in good shape but Crossfit is different.”

Soreness has not hampered Combs in his job but it has made it difficult at times to enjoy his

eight-month old golden retriever, Piper.

“Piper weighs between 70 and 75 pounds but still thinks she is the size of a puppy,” says Combs.

“She’s hyper. When I am sitting on the couch, she will jump on me like she is smaller than she is. I love

her, though. She is fantastic. I also have a four-year old mini Australian shepherd, another wonderful

dog.”

Did Combs have pets growing up?

“No,” he responds, “I had a rough childhood growing up. That’s a major reason I joined the

police force. I enjoy building relationships and letting people know I am here to help them. It’s easy for

me to relate to and talk with those who are struggling. I watch the principals, assistant principals,

counselors and Ozark guidance staff members go to extreme lengths to be helpful to students and have

learned a lot. I like working with kids.”

This is Combs’ first full year as an SRO. He was hired to serve in the schools last year but COVID-

19 broke out. He has not served as an SRO without wearing a mask.

“I enjoy the kids, the teachers and the staffs at all the schools where I work,” Combs says. “But,

since we have to wear a mask all the time, the kids can’t see when I am smiling at them.”

Other than being sore, Combs has plenty to smile about. He is not only a member of the

Springdale Police force but also the Arkansas Army National Guard.

“I joined the National Guard when I was a junior at Alma High School,” Combs explains. “I was

17 at the time. I go to camp for two weeks every summer and one weekend every month. When I was in

high school I wanted to be a police officer and be in the military as well. Being a police officer meant

more so I worked at Lowe’s until I was 21 before applying to join the police. My sister’s husband worked

for the Springdale police at the time and encouraged me to apply. I applied several places and

Springdale was the first to call me back.”

Combs served on patrol for over four years before becoming an SRO. Switching assignments was

not easy for him.

“It was hard leaving patrol,” Combs says. “The supervisors and officers worked so well together.

On patrol we were mostly helping adults. When the SRO position became available I thought to myself,

‘I’ve always helped adults, how can I help kids every single day?’ Now I am doing that.”

Combs is also pursuing a goal that should help him become even more helpful.

“Before the virus I was taking courses at NWACC (Northwest Arkansas Community College),”

says Combs. “My goal was a degree in social work but I am also passionate about psychology. I’ve

applied to Columbia Southern University because I can take all the classes online. I want to earn a

bachelor’s degree in psychology. Not only do I like psychology but a degree would help me advance in

rank in the military if I want to be an officer.

“Being a member of the police and the military has made me a better, more mature person. It

has opened my eyes, more than I imagined, to the real world.”

His eyes are more than open to the real world of serving as an SRO in Springdale. Combs says,

“Arkansas is a great place to be and Springdale, in particular, is a great place to be. The fantastic support

we receive is overwhelming. So many people in the community support us. They are thankful for what

we do. It works the other way, too. We appreciate every member of our community.”

It’s wonderful to be appreciated and Springdale Schools appreciates its SROs. They are among

the reasons that Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

Do you need your helicopter fixed? Robert Aini is your man. Long before he became a member

of the Springdale Police Department and a student resource officer, Aini was repairing helicopters in Iraq

and Afghanistan.

“I was living in California and didn’t like it,” says Aini. “It was too crowded. Traffic was horrible.

So, I joined the military and served for 10 years. I was a helicopter crew chief. I didn’t fly the helicopters.

I was the mechanic. So, I was in the air nearly every day when I served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We had a wide variety of missions, including taxiing solders. We would receive care packages

from the United States and give hem to kids. When a kid in Iraq or Afghanistan was given a soccer ball,

his eyes would get wide. Among the things they valued most were pencils. They loved pencils because it

gave them the ability to draw and write.”

Passing out care packages and interacting with kids gave Aini a preview of what he would

someday be doing.

“Kids are innocent,” Aini says. “Seeing them in Iraq and Afghanistan made me know I wanted to

help kids. They are survivors. They don’t have anything and appreciate everything they receive. I didn’t

grow up like that. My mom bought everything for me.”

Everything?

“Remember those Michael Jackson red jackets he wore when he sang ‘Thriller?’” asks Aini. “My

mom bought one for me. I was so popular. It was really too hot to wear a jacket where we lived but I

wore it anyway.”

Wearing a Michael Jackson jacket didn’t mean Aini grew up in wealth but he didn’t experience

extreme poverty, either. He was born in the Marshall Islands, and went to high school in Chuuk, one of

the Federated States of Micronesia. Aini learned English early in his academic career.

“I had a sixth grade teacher who was an international volunteer from New England,” Aini recalls.

“She told us that English is the international language. I’ve always believed that. I am still learning

English, though, even though I’ve spoken it for over 30 years. I like to learn the fancy words.”

His English was fine enough to allow him to go to Hawaii for college. He didn’t get far, though,

and ended up working two jobs to afford living in Hawaii. He did that for seven years before moving to

California.

“That’s when I decided to join the military,” Aini says. “Going to Iraq and Afghanistan was eye

opening. They are two totally different cultures. People survive with nothing. Sometimes I wondered

where they got food and water. I couldn’t survive there. I’ve seen the world and I don’t take anything for

granted.”

He doesn’t take his job for granted. Serving as SRO for Parson Hills, Bayyari, Turnbow, Harp,

Tyson, Lee and Jones Elementary, Aini did not move to Sprindale expecting to become a police officer.

“After I got out of the military I spent a year in Washington, then moved to San Diego,” Aini

explains. “I had friends in Springdale and I visited there in 2005. Compared to California, there was no

traffic. Springdale only had one Walmart then and I thought it was a very attractive, smaller town.

“When I came back in 2013, Springdale had grown. It still wasn’t like California, though. When I

came back Gomez (Zackious, SRO at Lakeside Junior High) saw me and said I would be a good police

officer. I was tired of wearing a uniform and wasn’t ready to wear another one.”

Zackious was persistent and persuaded Aini to take the test.

“I took the test and here I am,” says Aini. “This is a very rewarding job. It is totally different from

the army. I love it. I started on patrol and liked helping kids so I became an SRO.

“When it comes to helping kids, though, I am only a backup. Give all the credit to the teachers,

principals and staff members. They work very, very hard to educate and take care of the kids.”

In his sixth year on the police force and third as an SRO, Aini admits this year has been different

because of the national pandemic.

“I hate wearing masks,” he says. “You can’t tell if people are smiling or not. In my first two years

as SRO, I loved seeing the kids smile when I would see them. Now we have strict guidelines to make sure

we keep everyone safe. It’s crazy, weird. The only time I don’t wear a mask is when I am at home.”

At home he has a daughter who is at Central Junior High. His son graduated from Har-Ber High

School this past spring and just joined the Navy. Aini says, “He will grow into a young man in the Navy.

He will be a different man in three months.”

When he is not enjoying family time with his wife and daughter, Aini likes playing softball and

bicycling.

“Softball is very popular among the Marshallese,” Aini says. “I play with many of them when it is

warm. I like to play fast pitch but it makes you mad when you get hit by a pitch. I also like biking. I really

enjoyed my time on bike patrol.”

Aini is glad Zackious talked him into taking the test to become a police officer and values his

career. He and all the district SROs are among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.

Zach Miller has been a national champion. His wife, Brittany, has been a national champion.

They haven’t lost their zeal for competition and still frequently compete with each other.

“I met Brittany in college when both of us were members of our school’s skeet shooting team,”

says Miller, who serves as the student resource officer at Hellstern Middle and Young and Hunt

Elementary Schools. “I was on the 2011 national championship team. She was on teams that won four

national championships. We have a competitive relationship.”

Zach and Brittany were both on scholarship at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri.

It is the second oldest institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River, founded in 1827. The

school’s clay pigeon shooting teams were so good that Zach only earned a spot on one national

championship squad. Brittany was on four teams that won the title. Does that mean Brittany is a better

shot?

Zach won’t concede on who shoots better but admits, “She is really good. We still shoot

together some but it’s pretty expensive. The closest place to shoot is Bella Vista. But, we also enjoy

hiking and this is a perfect time to go hiking in Northwest Arkansas.”

Miller enjoys just about anything outdoors. He grew up in McLeansboro, Illinois, a community of

less than 3,000. His high school started a clay pigeon shooting team when he was a sophomore but he

grew up “shooting clay targets in our backyard.

“Our high school team was good and I got a scholarship offer in the mail from Lindenwood. My

parents and I visited the school and liked it. I had a double major, criminal justice and psychology. I kinda

knew I wanted to become a police officer.”

His shooting skills certainly helped launch his career in law enforcement. Skeet shooting requires

excellent hand-eye coordination as clay targets are mechanically flung in the air from two fixed stations

at high speeds from a variety of angles. The shooter uses a shotgun to fire at the targets.

Miller would just as soon never use his shooting ability on the job, particularly now that he is an

SRO. He is happy to be working in the schools and just as happy to be a member of the Springdale police

force.

“I moved to Northwest Arkansas without a job,” Miller explains. “Brittany and I dated in college

but we weren’t married yet. She got a job in Northwest Arkansas and I followed her here. She works in

Tyson’s corporate office. I applied with the Springdale police department and got a job pretty quick. I

came here straight from college and have been here since.”

Like most officers, Miller started on patrol. After four years on patrol he switched to becoming

an SRO last year. His reason?

“I wanted to make more impact with kids,” says Miller, who is only 29 himself. “The reason I

became a police officer was to make a difference and in schools an officer can be a positive role model.

I’ve found that to be true.”

Miller is just completing his first month at Hellstern, Young and Hunt. He served as SRO at Jones

and Westwood Elementary Schools and the Early Childhood Center before making the switch. How has

the adjustment gone?

“Tommy Wright, who was my best friend on the force, just left as the SRO at Southwest Junior

High to take a job as a realtor,” Miller says. “So, there were some adjustments made to make sure all the

schools were covered. Everyone at Hellstern, Young and Hunt has been very friendly. They are easy to

get along with. I’m still building relationships.”

Do students ever tell him they would like to someday be police officers?

“It happens all the time, particularly with elementary students,” Miller responds. “They look at

you like you are a superhero. There’s a little less of that in middle school. It makes any officer feel great

to have kids look up to him.”

It also makes officers feel great to belong to a solid police department.

“It is like a small brotherhood,” Miller says. “Even though Tommy is my best friend, I get along

with all the officers. Everyone I work with has been great. This is a great community. Springdale provides

excellent community support for the police. I am very lucky to be here.”

Springdale is lucky to have Miller. He and all the SROs are among the reasons Springdale Public

Schools are #THEChoice.

Email: communications@sdale.org
Website: www.sdale.org
Location: 804 West Johnson Avenue, Springdale, AR, USA
Phone: 479-750-8800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringdaleSchools