Born in Kentucky, Officer Figgs grew up in a house with one brother and three sisters before moving to Baltimore, Maryland. He then came to Brentwood in 1995. Figgs began high school, unsure of what it was that he wanted to do. Switching in and out between photography, nursing, and interior design up until college, he decided to go into the military as a medic.
After, Figgs went straight into policing. He says his brother motivated him to become a policeman: “I found it to be an honorable profession, and it was something I was able to do,” Figgs said. He began as a patrolman in the city before becoming a specialized unit, and after a while, he decided to take a rest. Away from the big scene, he started his 12th year of policing as a school officer for Brentwood.
Most public schools, just like Brentwood, also have school resource officers roaming around their halls. A survey by the National Center for Education Statistics shows a 10 percent increase in schools with a resource officer on-site compared to a decade earlier.
Brentwood jumped onto this trend two years ago, beginning their second year with an SRO on school grounds with Officer Figgs. What is a student resource officer? Figgs says: “I try to be an outlet for the students . . . I’m always there for you. I’m also here mainly for the security of the school, just in case something happens, I’m the first to contact.”
Figgs is unsure of what the future holds for him: “There’s a lot going on in my life, I’ve got a new son. My wife’s job moves us around a lot.” He hopes to become a supervisor and plans to go back to school for college credits soon.
All in all, Brentwood is more than excited to welcome Officer Figgs to the family, and become our new school resource officer during such an important year!
