Have you ever wondered who’s behind the simplicity and safety of entering and exiting the Green Hope Parking lot? How the flag is up before anyone is at school or how everyone is in their correct spots? The GH Falcon sat down with Green Hope security guard, Clyde Smith, to learn about his daily routine and the steps he takes to ensure that all Green Hope students are safe during all times of the school day. Smith has been working at Green Hope for the last three years after working as a police officer in the Raleigh Police Department for 25 years.
What time do you get to school every day?
“I get to school at 6:15 a.m., and immediately log in and raise the flags at the front. After I raise both the flags, I set up the cones in the carpool lane, and close the gates at the far end of the parking lot. I set up the cones outside of the student parking lot, and observe the traffic, making sure that everyone is going to the right place.”
How do you deal with students with no parking pass or parents trying to enter the lot?
“The first time I let them know and ask them if they have a parking pass. If they give me a good reason, I will let it go with a warning. The second time, they are more likely to get a ticket, and if the student doesn’t have their parking pass and they come to me and tell me why they drove their mom’s car, or that their car’s in the shop, that’s understandable. With parents, we typically direct them to the visitor’s spot and then we tell them where to come across and enter the building.”
What do you do after the first period?
“After all the students are in, I typically come in and take a 10-minute break, then I’ll go check the perimeter of the building and make sure all the doors are locked. After I do that I’ll come to the front of the building and monitor the entrance while kids are coming in for 2nd period, then after we finish that I’ll get on my bike and ride around the parking lot making sure everyone has their hang tag. I also ensure that everyone is parked within the lines and everyone is in the right location. By the time I get done with all of those tasks, it’s time for lunch.”
Lunchtime shift
When lunch starts I will be down at the far end gates and I will open one gate and one gate only. I will make sure every student has a lunch pass to leave campus, after all the students leave campus I will close the gates and come to the front of the school and relieve the administrator, and then I will check the people coming and going for the rest of the lunch period.”
The afternoon shift
After lunch, I typically go outside and do a check of the building. Then, I’ll go around and ride on my bike and check out the parking lot to make sure that no students are hanging around and talking after 3rd period. I’ll also stop by the tennis courts to make sure that no kids have snuck off campus, and at 2:00, I’ll block off the entrance of the student parking lot to make sure that no parents are trying to come into the lot and pick up their kids early. Once school gets out, I hold back the parents waiting to enter the school and let the kids go through the parking lot and exit. I manage the parking lot until about 2:30 where I then go and manage the carpool lane until about 2:45. After that, I take the flags down and take a break- after my break, I check the building again to make sure everything is in order, and then log out for the day.
After a long day of overseeing the parking lot and ensuring that Green Hope students, parents, and faculty are safe and following rules and precautions, Clyde enjoys going home to spend time with his friends and family, golf, and watch college basketball.
Patrolling our school, looking out for our cars and safety in and out of the parking lot and a friendly face in the halls, Green Hope Security Guard Clyde Smith has it all and is there for all even if you forget your parking pass!
