As students flood into CESJDS most mornings, Montgomery County police officer Justin Saffar stands at the entrance to greet and protect them. 

Although there has been a sporadic police presence on campus for a few years, last year CESJDS increased protection to five days a week. 

Saffar is one of four officers who share security duties during the day with JDS’ full-time security guards and security system. The officers are at the school from approximately 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

“[My job] is greeting people, watching to see that everyone who’s coming in belongs here and walking around just to make sure there’s nothing suspicious on the property,” Saffar said. 

In addition to local daily patrol, this task gives officers another way to protect the community. According to High School Principal and Associate Head of School Marc Lindner, this program was always part of the school’s security plan, but the various threats to the Jewish community last year catalyzed the process so that there were officers present five days a week. 

“It’s nice to have consistency with them because, they get to know the students and that is helpful to our security efforts,” Lindner said. 

Freshman Sarah Pollard agrees that the consistency makes her feel like they care about the community. 

“I feel safer and I know that they care about us because every morning they say ‘hi’ to us,” Pollard said.

This consistency sets Saffar’s job at JDS apart from his regular duties of patrolling the First District Station. This station covers Cabin John Shopping Center through the Fallsgrove Shopping Center. Because he is at JDS and on foot every day, he is able to make connections with those in the small community. 

“When you’re a police officer patrolling, you do have connections with certain people but for the most part once you’ve seen someone one time, you probably will never see them again,” Saffar said. 

Saffar became a police officer because he wanted to help people. He has worked at other Jewish institutions, which makes him feel more connected to his own Jewish identity.

 Raised in a Conservative Jewish family, Saffar always looked up to the police officers at his own synagogue and loved hearing about their police stories. 

“It’s amazing to me that I now get to be the one to have the ‘cool stories,’” Saffar said. 

Saffar said that his “proud” mother tells every police officer at his synagogue that he is a police officer who works at Jewish institutions.

Saffar appreciates students’ pride at school, as well.

“I really like the school spirit,” Saffar said. Someone is always wearing a JDS Lions shirt every day. It feels like almost every day one of the teams or groups is having a spirit day. This spirit didn’t happen at all in my high school.”

Saffar enjoys being an extension of the JDS community by protecting it. And it is important that the school is taking safety seriously.  

“While I might be a police officer, everyone can help regarding safety.  The most important thing is that if something looks suspicious- tell someone,” Saffar said. 

Lindner is very pleased with the progress that the school has made in security and appreciates the contributions of the officers who guard the building. 

“To me, I just really like the idea that the officers are people who are interested in what’s happening in this school and who I think in a small way made themselves a nice part of the overall community,” Lindner said. 

This story was featured in the Volume 35, Issue 2 edition of The Lion’s Tale, published on Oct. 20, 2017.