McClintock High School has security guards and a police officer roaming around the school to keep it in great protection.

Officer Gabriel Gomez has been working on McClintock’s campus for four years and is striving for more.

“My duties include, first and foremost, the safety and security here on the campus. I also teach 180 hours per school year and I also investigate crimes on and off campus that involve our students,” Gomez said.

Although it may appear that  the police officer and security guards perform the same duties here on campus, there are differences between the two jobs.

“A security guard and a police officer have similar jobs, but [the security guards are] more out and about and more visible than I am,” Gomez said.

Gomez is part of the Tempe Police Department, and that’s the reason he’s here at MHS.

“I am a detective at the department and they assigned me to this school; this is all I do,” Gomez said.

Being assigned to this school means being committed to the hours.

“Whenever students are here, I’m here. I work five days a week from 7:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon,” Gomez said.

Gomez decided to be a police officer when he was in college.

“I went to college and I got a couple of degrees, and that’s when I knew that I wanted to get into law enforcement. I always wanted to help people,” Gomez said.

Working as a police officer can be stressful, but there is one thing that keeps Gomez going.

“My family is my motivation. I know that no matter what I’m doing I’m coming home to them, and the better I do my job, the easier it is to come home to them,” Gomez said.

After working here for four years, Gomez starts to get attached to the students here at McClintock.

“My favorite memory since being here is when students that graduated have contacted me and tell me that they’re doing something positive,” Gomez said.