Serving as resource officers at LHS for the past four years, Jason Larsen and Bob Draeger have turned their separate personalities into a strong working relationship while keeping students safe. They proudly refer to their friendship as a “bromance” while citing the differences that keep life interesting as they patrol the halls of LHS.

“They say opposites attract,” said Draeger, an 18-year veteran of the Sioux Falls Police Department. “His desk is nice and clean and mine’s a mess. When we joke around, he’s got a really good poker face and I don’t.”

The combination of the two work well while they work as resource officers to maintain security while also providing students with friendly faces that they can trust during the school day.

“I’m the serious one,” said Larsen, who has been on the force 13 years. “Bob would probably describe me as obsessive compulsive, because I have a very strong desire for cleanliness and order. But it’s good that we get along well and can bounce things off each other.”

Before arriving at LHS, the officers knew each other when they worked the night shift at the police department. In fact, Draeger’s wife was Larsen’s girlfriend in middle school, though the friends did not know each other then. They found common interests after taking on high school duty at LHS and they enjoy activities outside of work. In addition to evening workout sessions in the school weight room, Larsen and Draeger enjoy remote control cars, hunting and boating, which they describe as playing with their “boy toys.”

When one of the two is not at the school for whatever reason, staff members tease them about separation anxiety. For example, officer Larsen was absent for a week of training and Draeger quickly became lonely while he sat alone in their office for two.

“People make fun of us like, ‘How are you holding up, Bob? Do you miss him?’” said Draeger.

Of course, they face many serious moments as well, like the time the officers brought two students down to the office for fighting.

“I went to the nurse’s office because one of the students was hurt,” said Larsen. “The other student was in the principal’s office and decided he wasn’t going to stick around. He ran away but didn’t know I was in the nurse’s office, so I confronted him and he turned and jumped over the counter at student services. I managed to grab his arm with him on one side and me on the other, and I kept asking where Officer Draeger was with the handcuffs. He happened to be in the bathroom at the time.”

Everything ended up fine with that episode and the bromance continued. Safety continues to be a main priority as the two friends continue to exemplify their important, yet fun roles in LHS.

“He’s usually bad cop and I’m good cop,” said Draeger. “But we switch it up sometimes.”