Midlands High School Resource Officer Thrives Despite Disability

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WOLO)- The Richland County Sheriffs Department made history last week with the announcement of a new policy to better serve students with disabilities. One of the department’s resource officers, who will be implementing the new policy actually has a disability of his own.

“I wasn’t a social person growing up,” Jamel Bradley, Resource officer said. “I was pretty shy, didn’t really talk a whole lot.”

Bradley lost most of his hearing as a baby, which made it hard to fit in.

“The weird looks, the name calling, people thinking I wasn’t normal,” Bradley said. “I thought I was a normal person like everyone else.  But those people who picked on me looked at me like I wasn’t normal.”

He found comfort and confidence in sports. Bradley played for USC Gamecocks.

“Once basketball season started everything else fell in place,” Bradley said.

After playing professionally overseas, Bradley came home, and fell into law enforcement.

“I didn’t really choose law enforcement it chose me,” Bradley said.

The stand out athlete turned into a stand up deputy.

“I like to work with kids, people with disabilities and things like that to help them out,” Bradley said.

Bradley is the resource officer at spring valley high.

“I try to break the ice, just kind of throw a joke here and there,” Bradley said. referring to his interaction with students. “Kind of get them a little bit easier for them to talk to me.”

Bradley doesn’t let his disability slow him down. He says the loss of hearing sharpened his other senses.

“My disability misses a lot, but I think my vision helps catch things, so I don’t miss too much,” Bradley said.

For people who have disabilities like him Bradley gives this advice.

“Stay positive, have faith and just keep that dream,” Bradley said. “Because everybody has a lot of dreams and visions, but I think a lot of people don’t realize that you have to be driven also. ”