Cullman Police Officer John Anderson (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)
CULLMAN – Cullman’s American Legion Post 4 recently awarded its Police Officer of the Year award to Cullman Police Officer John Anderson. Anderson currently serves as the school resource officer (SRO) for Cullman High School. The Tribune stopped by CHS to speak with Anderson about his award and service.
Anderson was born in Cullman but moved often as a child of a military family. His family returned to Cullman County near the end of his ninth-grade year. He graduated from Vinemont High School in 1995 and began taking classes at Wallace State shortly thereafter.
In 1999, Anderson married his high school sweetheart, Mandy. Anderson joined the Army in 2000 and was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division stationed at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. During his three years serving in the Army, Anderson was deployed to Kuwait during Operation Enduring Freedom.
After the Army, the Andersons returned to Cullman with their now 19-year-old daughter. Using his G.I. Bill, Anderson completed his studies at Wallace State and worked as a corrections officer at the city jail. After graduating from Wallace, he began working full time at the jail.
Once the city jail closed, Anderson moved to code enforcement then animal control. John and Mandy expanded their family during this time. They now have four children. Their two girls are 19 and 15, and two boys are 8 and 7.
Anderson took the SRO position 2014.
“I love my job. I want to make the kids as comfortable as possible. I talk with them and get to know all of them. I watch their moods and emotions and can hopefully notice when a kid is having a bad day. I feel like I’ve broken down barriers with the kids and that they feel comfortable talking to me,” Anderson said.
Anderson is very passionate about the safety and well-being of all the kids adding, “I would do everything in my power to protect these kids. I spend much of my time replaying scenarios in my mind and identifying ways to make sure this is the safest environment possible for the kids.”
One of Andersonʼs daughters is a sophomore at Cullman High School, but Anderson said, “I would protect all these kids whether I had a child at the school or not. All of these kids are someone’s son or daughter and I have a responsibility to protect them and I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Anderson spends a lot of time helping students with lost/misplaced cellphones, wallets and backpacks. He also walks the halls making sure there are no safety issues. He monitors the campus and parking lots to keep strangers away from the school.
“We are a team here and we have great communication. The janitors, teachers, students and everyone tell me when there is something out of the ordinary.”
Anderson told a story about an individual putting fliers on students’ cars in the parking lots.
“The janitor had me check it out immediately and as I explained to this individual that they could not be there, his info came back for outstanding warrants. After a brief high-speed chase, the man was arrested. Great communication as a team led to the guy’s apprehension.”
Anderson, who also directs traffic on the back side of Cullman High, has some help before and after school this year.
“I can’t be everywhere during these times. I direct the student parking lots and Officer Pruitt helps the drop-offs and pick-ups,” said Anderson. “My advice to parents in the afternoon would be to wait until 10-15 minutes after school lets out before picking kids up. By then, the traffic has thinned out and the kids have a few minutes to talk with their friends. Itʼs much safer and less chaotic than the first 10 minutes as people all try to leave at the same time.”
He continued, “In the mornings, I wave at every student as they enter the parking lot. This helps me to know them better. Sometimes, a kid might be anxious about a test, running late or having a bad morning, and that smile and wave can help calm them. I can usually tell if something is off and talk to them. Some kids might have the idea that the police are kind of like the boogeyman. I hope I am showing them that we are not. I want to help and keep them safe.”
Cullman High School’s enrollment is up significantly over last year. Anderson estimated the number to be 1,100 students, 200 more than last year. He urges all students, “Stay aware of your surroundings and if something doesn’t seem right, follow your gut. Don’t ignore your instincts. This is true for anywhere you go and not just at school.”
Besides working Monday-Friday at CHS and at special events after school, Officer Anderson also helps at St. Bernard, Childhaven, Cullman Regional and the Cullman Civic Center. He is also involved with JAWS (Juvenile Accountability Weekday/Weekend Services), a program that checks curfews, residences, and keeps other checks on juvenile probationers. He also runs a lawn care service in Cullman.
Anderson says of his success, “I am successful because everyone works as a team, including the students. It’s not me! It’s the students, the community; it’s Cullman.”
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