Behind the Badge: MPPD SRO keeps students safe while training for the Olympics

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — Here on News 4, we're taking you Behind the Badge, introducing you to men and women of the Lowcountry who keep us safe.

Our latest officer is always on her feet on and off the clock. Right now, she's training to compete on the world's largest stage.

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Murlern Jean has spent the last 16 years on the track.

"It's complex," she said. "You're sprinting full speed and hurtling over 10 obstacles, 10 hurdles. I think that's what keeps me going because like every season or every day I'm learning something new, something different, and I'm getting better and better at it."

When she's not training new athletes or running laps, Jean is running after the students at Laurel Hill Primary in Mt. Pleasant as their school resource officer.

"(The students) always want to race me," she said. "I always race them at recess. I have some kids that think they're faster than me."

Jean has been the SRO for the school since 2019 and says it's her chance to combine fun with safety.

"I come to the students with a smile and I let them know who I am," Jean said. "I let them know I'm here at the school to keep them safe, just in case if they don't know why I I'm here."

"I always have that mindset that you just never know," she continued. "So always be prepared. But I'm always having fun."

When she's done patrolling the halls, Jean heads to the track to pursue her other passion. Jean competed in the 2016 and 2021 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter hurdles and is now training for the Paris competition.

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"Representing Haiti was pretty big for me because we haven't really sent a lot of people to the Olympics," Jean said. "It was a big deal just to represent my country, just to be there was a huge deal."

"Coming into Paris, I think I will be ready," she said. "Tokyo, I made it to the semifinals, so that was a huge accomplishment for me just to make it to the next round. This go-around, I plan on making it to the finals."

Even over the summer, Jean is still inspiring her students.

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"They were the ones to tell me they watched me on TV," she said. "That melted my heart because that came on at, you know, various times. Sometimes six o'clock, four o'clock in the morning. To have them sitting there watching me or waiting up looking for me made me feel very special."

Jean says the kids she chases around the playground and sits with in classes inspire her too.

"Just seeing everyone smile, making them happy, and hearing the little kids say, 'Thank you for keeping us safe'," Jean said. "Even the teachers and the faculty, they also always thank me for being here and keeping them safe. That's just the best part, I would say."