Mylinh Reeves is McRae Elementary’s school resource officer
BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
MCRAE— With 10 years in county corrections and 17 serving on the Palatka Police Department, Mylinh Reeves has seen the hard, negative side of society.
However, as the school resource officer at McRae Elementary School, every morning brings bright faces and hope for the future.
Reeves attended Crescent City High School in Putnam County, got married at a young age, had two children and then divorced before getting into law enforcement.
She said she saw the field as a way to support herself and her family without having to depend on anyone else.
Reeves started her career in corrections, working for 10 years in St. Johns, Duval, and Alachua counties before completing her crossover training.
“I wanted to do my crossover training because I wanted to experience the road,” she said.
Reeves joined the Palatka Police Department and retired from the agency after 17 years working as a patrol officer, detective and as the agency’s community policing officer.
She said working in school security gave her an opportunity for a fresh start, and she joined Clay County Schools Police in 2019.
“It’s been the most rewarding position I’ve ever had,” she said. “I get to see the students in the mornings and brighten their days.”
Reeves added that she strives to imprint a positive image of law enforcement into students so that when they encounter an officer in the future, they will react positively.
“I try to encourage them to come see me,” she added, “say hello, give me a high five, a good hug or something like that.”
Reeves said some students are standoffish at first, intimidated by the uniform, the radio, the weapon, the badge.
“But when they see the other children interact with me, they realize it’s O.K. to give Officer Reeves a hug or a high five,” she said.
Reeves added that she also makes an effort to reach out to as many parents as possible.
“The parents love it that we’re here,” she said.
Reeves said that with McRae’s rural campus isolated from the county’s population centers, parents feel more comfortable with a full-time law enforcement officer on campus.
She added that McRae also has a guardian: an armed civilian with training in school security.
She said the sheriff’s office maintains a presence near the campus, often helping with traffic control on County Road 315-C during drop off and pick up times.
During the school day, Reeves monitors who arrives on campus and keeps an eye on student behavior.
However, she is always trying to make a connection with every child she encounters
“A lot of students sometimes don’t feel like people understand them,” she said. “I want them to know they are loved.”
Reeves said a few children have even paid her the ultimate compliment.
“I’ve had a few students tell me they want to grow up to be a police officer,” she said.
