After 13 years as the SES resource officer, the time has come for Deputy Linda Martinez to pass the nightstick to new resource officer, Deputy Braden Long. Deputy Martinez has announced that she is retiring. 

The new officer,  Deputy Long, will officially take over for Deputy Martinez on Monday,  just four days before Christmas Break. 

Long has been shadowing  Martinez for several weeks, learning  the tasks resource officers accomplish – visiting students during their lunch hour, teaching DARE, and monitoring the halls, among other matters. 

Deputy Martinez has been a resource officer at SES since January 2006. She said that some of the things that she has brought to Southeast are seatbelts are for everyone (SAFE) and the new doors that we are getting.

Martinez said that of all the law enforcement tasks she has completed, the job of resource officer has been her favorite.

“I have worked at the sheriff’s office, transferred inmates to jail, been a police officer at Salina Police Department, been a street cop, detective, dispatch officer, and a substitute teacher for the behavior program, but nothing has prepared me for the joy I have in this job.”

In some ways, she hates to leave.

“Not many people can say that they look forward to going to work everyday and enjoying it, but I can,” she said.“I love the kids. I never thought that I would care this much about the kids.” 

Nevertheless, she looks forward to retiring, and returning to Southeast to continue to see the kids she loves competing in their activities. 

She’s confident she’s leaving the work to a quality replacement.

“You are going to be in good hands with Deputy Long,” she said. 

Long graduated from Southeast in 2010.  He was on the football team and has said  that football helped influence him to go into the police force because “football is competitive, and you never know what’s going to happen.” 

He also stated the same about being a deputy. 

“You never know what problems you need to solve,” he said. 

Long has most recently worked for the Abilene sheriff’s department, working there until the end of 2015. 

He said that he was pleased to be back. “The position at Southeast was available,” he said. “It’s nice to come back and be accepted.”