Next year at RMHS, Officer Mike Davis, will be the new school resource officer.
For 8 years, Officer Brian Lewis has been the School Resource Officer at Reading Memorial High School. For the last three of those years, he has monitored the area with his companion, Cooper the Comfort Dog. For many people, the dog has improved their day, and improved their mood.
A recent post from the Reading Police Department Instagram Page confirms that Officer Lewis has been promoted in the Police Department. “There was an opportunity to slide into a detective position, so I took it, and fortunately, got the job,” Lewis said. He joined the police force in 2016 and became the school resource officer in 2017.
Because of Officer Lewis’s new position, RMHS started looking for a replacement.
Through the interviewing process, a candidate has been chosen: Officer Mike Davis. “He was one of three candidates that applied and he’s very invested and excited about starting at Reading Memorial High School,” said Principal Callanan.
Officer Davis started shadowing Officer Lewis during the middle of March this year. “I’m very excited [to be the new School Resource Officer]. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the students and be a good role model,” said Officer Davis.
A question that many students have brought up is simply, what is to happen to Cooper?
Officer Lewis said, “Cooper is going to stay with me. We will still be doing some events but he will be retired at the end of the year.” Principal Callanan knew that the students at RMHS needed a new comfort dog. She made sure of this while trying to find a new School Resource Officer. “The new [School Resource Officer] did say in the interview process that he is open to having a comfort dog,” she said.
Confirming this, Officer Davis said, “Eventually I will have a dog picked out, but at the moment, I don’t have one.”
The Reading PD Instagram page posted that “Detective Lewis will be finishing out the school year working alongside SRO Davis to ensure a smooth transition.”
SRO Davis will start his position without Detective Lewis at the start of the new school year.
