Myrone Grady

It was a cloudy August morning early in the 2010-2011 school year, and Katrice Woods was in a panic.

She had dropped her children off at school earlier and returned home to find her house at 1300 Del. on fire.

Later, as she was working with firefighters to determine what could be salvaged, Lawrence police Officer Myrone Grady, South Middle School’s school resource officer, and Lynn Harrod, South’s assistant principal, pulled up in Grady’s car.

They had heard about the fire and wanted to make sure she was OK. One of Woods’ sons attended South. Grady ended up giving Woods a hug to console her.

Colleagues say Grady, who has worked at South since 2008, is perhaps best known for dropping his work and making himself available to students and parents whenever they need him. On Thursday evening in Wichita, the Kansas Juvenile Officers Association honored Grady as the 2011 Kansas School Resource Officer of the Year.

“His compassion is second to none, and he always shows respect to the child and their individual needs,” Harrod wrote in a recommendation letter nominating Grady for the award.

Grady, who served as a patrol officer from 2003 to 2008, said he does his best to be visible at South.

“I think it’s important to try to know every kid in my school,” said Grady, who has also worked as a college football coach, Kansas Department of Corrections case manager and Douglas County juvenile corrections officer.

He works to spend time in the hallway during passing periods to interact with students, teach classes about preventing drug use and personal safety, and also coaches eighth-grade football at South. Behind his interactions, Grady says, he hopes he can help give a positive example of a law enforcement officer to students to make them more comfortable if they have to deal with officers in the community.

“I think it’s more,” Grady said, “than just being the cop at the school.”