Student Security Officers

Student security officers in Hamilton County Schools work alongside the student security coordinator at the district level and school administrators to help provide a safe and secure campus for the children and staff in our schools. The student security officers supplement the safety work of school resource officers provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. All safety efforts are put in place with the safety and security of children as top priority.

The SSO will be highly visible on school campuses with a focus on building relationships with students and the community. The SSOs will patrol the campus and be highly visible in the schools. The safety professionals will also foster relationships with local law enforcement agencies serving the local schools to further supplement safety in our schools.

Meet the Apison Elementary School SSO:

Michael Darty,  Student Security Officer (SSO)

I am excited for the opportunity to be a School Security Officer for the Hamilton County Schools as it allows me to maximize my past experience in both security and education. I served as a police officer for ten years where I commanded the SWAT team and supervised the E-911 system. I am also a current member of the Alabama National Guard, where I have served for 32 years as a military police officer, Security Advisor and Senior Religious Affairs Advisor. I am particularly proud of my two post 9/11 deployments: Operation Noble Eagle (2001-02) where I was responsible for security for Alabama’s five commercial airports and Operation Enduring Freedom (2013-14) where I commanded the soldiers and contractors operating the Persistent Surveillance System at Camp Bala Hissar, Afghanistan.

I am also a certified teacher for grades 6-12. I taught history for 17 years at Pleasant Grove High School, a 5A school in a Birmingham suburb decimated by the April 2011 tornadoes. I also served as the Head Varsity Soccer Coach and an Assistant Coach for both the high school and middle school football teams. I retired in August 2020 from the State of Alabama.

A native of Carbon Hill, Alabama, I graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in History. Roll Tide! After living in Vestavia Hills (a Birmingham suburb) for almost 20 years, I relocated to Chattanooga in Summer 2020 after my wife accepted a job with McKee Foods. My wife is an attorney and family-business consultant. My daughter is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi in the Early-Entry Pharmacy Program and my son is an 8th grader at East Hamilton Middle School. As a family, we love to attend sporting events (especially Alabama football and professional soccer) and travel. We are also huge Disney World fanatics and have been every year since 2005. I also enjoy hunting and woodworking.