One friendly face at North Atlanta High School wears both a smile – and a badge. And whether you see him in the early mornings, at lunch, or in the hallway, Officer Daniel McFarlan always projects the same sunny attitude. McFarland, a veteran Atlanta Police Officer, is now into his second year as NAHS’s school resource officer. The post he holds lets him apply community-policing techniques within a very active learning community of 1,600 teenaged students.

McFarland, a native of New York City, is a seasoned police officer. Prior to his current “high school beat,” he was an Atlanta Police Department (APD) officer for seven years. Before making a move to the South and making Atlanta his adopted home, he worked in New York City for 20 years for the New York Police Department, where he retired from service there. It was his retirement that sparked a desire to move to another part of the country and start a new professional chapter.

Both in New York and in Atlanta, McFarland has always been motivated to be involved with young people. “I like being around teenagers and my best police work was always work that involved mentoring,” he said.

Following his desire to serve youth, he signed up for a cooperative APS-APD program that places experienced police officers in large high schools in the city.

During last school year, McFarlan spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons patrolling NAHS. This year, his status changed from part-time to full-time at NAHS. The move, which means even more time getting to know students, has also landed him in a nice office of his own in the building’s administrative suite.

Throughout his time at North Atlanta, he’s worked hard to establish rapport with all students. “I’m not really just here to police. It’s more accurate to say that I’m here to point all kids here toward the right way in life,” said McFarlan.

Although police officers may seem scary and mean, Officer McFarlan is nothing of the sort. So, by all means, cross the hallway to shake his hand. But if you cross the law, well, that’s another story, and that’s another side of Officer Daniel McFarlan.