When Carl Kennerley begins his new position as Ferndale School District’s new District Resource Officer (DRO), he plans to start building relationships with students and staff right away.

“I’m looking forward to building that trust with the kids, so they can feel comfortable enough to see me as someone they can ask to help,” said Kennerley, an officer with the Ferndale Police Department. “That’s my top priority.”

This summer, Ferndale School District and Ferndale Police Department partnered to bring Kennerley to our schools. Unlike previous officers stationed in Ferndale schools, who primarily focused on Ferndale High School, Kennerley will be supporting students of all grades within Ferndale city limits.

Kennerley said being a DRO wasn’t initially on his radar, until he ran into a local parent at a convenience store. That parent thanked Kennerley for helping her with her teenager, who was going through a troubled phase until she called 911 and Kennerley visited their home. Afterwards, the teen turned around their life and joined the military.

This interaction inspired Kennerley to focus more on helping local students.

“It made me want to have more of those opportunities to mentor and work with youth,” he said. “To know that I had an impact like that, and someone let me know, it’s probably the best thing that’s happened in my career.”

Kennerley was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved to the United States to attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii, where he met his future wife. When the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred during his time in college, Kennerley felt an urge to become a U.S. citizen and join law enforcement.

“I remember feeling like I wanted to do something where I could help people,” he said.” That desire was so strong.”

After a few years working in computers and information systems, Kennerley finally became a police officer for the Roseburg Police Department in Southern Oregon 15 years ago. A few years later, he and his family moved to Ferndale after visiting his sisters’ families here.

“I really liked the small-town vibe, and I had a lot of good times with family here,” Kennerley said. “I wanted my kids to grow up around their cousins and for us to have a good support system.”

Kennerley has worked with the Ferndale Police Department for 12 years, including six years on the Whatcom County SWAT team. All four of his sons, along with their 20 cousins, have attended Ferndale schools.

In his new role as the DRO, Kennerley hopes to be a resource to Ferndale students and school staff. He’s looking forward to a role that’s less about constantly chasing new leads, and more about building relationships.

“If there’s somebody that needs my help, I can actually take the time and build a rapport with them, and then see them again the next day,” Kennerley said.