PROTECT AND SERVE: Smallwood helps ensure safety of Tuscumbia

The most common motto of police departments across the United States is “To protect and serve.”

Though a simple concept, the actual practice of the motto can take on many different forms.

For Lt. Mike Smallwood with Tuscumbia Police Department, he is most often protecting the youth of our community while they are trying to learn.

Smallwood is the School Resource Officer for Deshler Middle School. He is also in charge of the SROs at each of the other Tuscumbia City Schools.

“It’s one of the best jobs I ever did,” he said. “You get to build relationships with kids. It’s a struggle sometimes, because there are things you can’t help them with.”

Smallwood said his most basic function is to make sure everyone in his school remains safe. That means not letting in anyone not meant to be at the school, not letting anyone out that isn’t supposed to leave and otherwise upholding the law like any other police officer.

“A lot of people think that SROs are disciplinarians, but we actually are not,” he said. “All we do is protect everyone and enforce laws. The teachers and principals still have to take care of their roles, and they do it better than we could. It frees us up to be able to stand back and help when there is something that requires it.”

Smallwood has spent 24 years with Tuscumbia police and four years at other departments before that.

He has spent many of those years working with students, teachers and administrators to help build a community and keep everyone safe.

“You talk to the kids about stuff, make sure doors are locked and everyone stays safe,” he said. “We make sure we are not losing track of anyone due to carelessness like a door being unlocked. We have cameras, and all visitors check in at the office. They are given an ID badge that you can see.

“I’ve done this many times. In the spring there seems to be a lot of substitutes. If they don’t have ID or I’m not sure who they are and why they are there, I will chase them down to find out who they are. If you are in my school and you’re not supposed to be, you’re going out.”

While Smallwood says he definitely enjoys his job, like many it does become taxing at times.

“There’s good and bad,” he said. “I’d love to be everywhere at once, but I can’t. But Mr. (Superintendent Russ) Tate and all the principals have a good relationship with us, because they know we are there to help. The benefit is mutual.”

When he’s not doing his duty at Deshler Middle, Smallwood can often be found at Tuscumbia City Council meetings, where he is in charge of the livestream uploaded to Facebook.

He may also be found at any of a number of events being held in the city, as he is in charge of TPD’s security detail and other responsibilities at those functions.

“I’m over all community events like Helen Keller Festival, the Christmas parade, tons of 5Ks and everything else,” Smallwood said. “Every time we have an event downtown like Second Saturdays, I make sure law enforcement officers are in place.

“That is the second calling of a police officer. The first one is to protect. This is part of service. I have done it for 15 years now, and you have to know people to help fill in the gaps.”

Though it has been different in the past, Smallwood said he and the department have been “blessed” so far in 2024, as there have been no arrests at any local events this year.

“We have more events than everywhere else in the county or Florence combined,” Smallwood said.

For help with things like event security, Smallwood heads up a volunteer program called STOP, Support Tactical Operations and Planning. These are volunteers that help cover the events for free for love of their community as a way to give back.

“If they didn’t do it, we couldn’t hold all these events,” he said.