MARYVILLE, Tenn. — It's game-on at Carpenters Elementary School in Blount County when Sheriff's Office Deputy and School Resource Officer Austin Kirkland hits the playground during recess.

Students are back to school full-time this week, and excited to see Kirkland, who takes the time to throw a football with them while he's on his morning patrol.

It's his job to keep the kids safe at school, but he said it's important to do more. He wants his students to know they're safe to come to him with any problem, big or small.

"The last thing we really want is for kids to be afraid of us, we want kids to run to us, we love high-fives," he said. "We want them to run to us if there's an issue, we don't want them feeling like they have to hide or run from us."

The Blount County Sheriff's Office

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