Soul of 78- Mitchell Jones

School Resource Officer, T.R. Simmons Elementary

Worde by Logan Fowler | Image by Al Blanton

Mitchell Jones never intended to work in law enforcement.

A Jasper native and Walker High School graduate, Mitchell spent his early adult years working as a truck driver. The job was steady and familiar, and at the time, it was where he expected his future to stay. That path shifted unexpectedly one day while he was waiting on a load in Texas.

“I had been sitting there for two days, and somebody called and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in applying at Jasper as a police officer?’” Mitchell recalls.

On a whim, he said yes, and his life was quietly and quickly rerouted.

More than 22 years later, Mitchell has now worked night patrol, served 14 years as a K-9 handler, led the department’s SWAT team after training at Fort McClellan, and eventually found what he now calls the most rewarding assignment of his career: serving as a school resource officer (SRO). Each role brought different demands and shaped his approach to both leadership and service.

As a K-9 handler, Mitchell was first partnered with a German Shepherd named Gary. The role demanded constant availability and trust, and he still remembers his partner dogs as loyal companions with whom he bonded through long hours and high-stress situations.

“It’s like having another set of kids that you can never get away from,” he laughs. “If you go on vacation, they go with you. It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

But it was inside the walls of Jasper’s schools where Mitchell says his perspective on law enforcement changed the most. The work became less about reacting to crisis and more about preventing it altogether.Now a lieutenant over the city’s SRO program, Mitchell spends most of his time at T.R. Simmons Elementary while supervising officers assigned to each school in the system. With a wife who is a teacher and children currently moving through the school system, the role carries personal meaning and a heightened sense of responsibility.

Mitchell prioritizes building relationships in the hallways, believing that familiarity can often prevent conflict before it starts. Over time, students’ nervous glances turn into greetings, and authority becomes approachable.

“The kids really respect you. The little kids at the elementary schools are great. It’s a whole different ballgame than working with people out on the street,” he says.

Safety remains Mitchell’s constant priority as an SRO. Daily door checks, spot checks, traffic flow management, and emergency training are part of the routine, often unnoticed but always essential.

“When it comes to stuff like that, you don’t second-guess. You plan on all those kids being safe. If something happens, you don’t worry about yourself; you worry about those kids,” he says.

Working in the school system has also reshaped his perspective on discipline. Where an arrest might once have been his automatic initial response, Mitchell now looks for opportunities to intervene early, understanding how a single mistake could alter a young person’s future.

“I feel things far more than I ever did before becoming an SRO,” he says. “I found out how bad family life can be. Some of these kids come to school with a smile on their face, but in reality, it’s just for show, and they need a safe place to turn.”

Outside of work, Mitchell spends time on his family farm with his wife and three boys, tending to goats, cows, chickens, and horses. He can also often be found deer hunting somewhere in the woods.

Those moments away from the badge have given him time to reflect and further sharpened his sense of what children carry and how much a steady presence can matter.

Years from now, when students look back on their time in school, Mitchell hopes they remember one thing: that the officer in the hallways cared enough to help when it mattered most. 78