Life as an SRO Is So, So, Sweet!
September 19, 2019
Cody Skipper wears a badge of distinction.
In the 11 years and over 700 calls that Cody Skipper has been on the Elkhart Police Department, he’s seen a lot of “crazy” things: active shootings, suicides, counterfeiting cases—you name it. “One time I arrested a man who was claiming to be Jesus Christ, the son of man,” Skipper began. “No, that is not a crime,” he continued, “but he had prescription medication on him which did not belong to him.”
“Skip,” as he is affectionately known, ,also recalled how true a statement was that he was told in training: “They say an officer will see more destruction, chaos, disorder and mayhem in the first year of police work than most people see in a lifetime.” One of the most traumatic for him personally was the 2014 shooting spree at Martin’s Supermarket, where a male took the lives of two innocent people. Skipper was among those first on the horrific scene.
Life for him at Central is a bit calmer, to say the least. Although only in his second year here as the School Resource Officer, Skipper is no stranger to working in the school system. For seven years, he split his time between both Central and Pierre Moran, making the Class of 2019 his first group to “graduate.” “I knew those kids since they were in 7th grade,” he proudly states. They’ve become more like family. Thus, it is important to Skipper that people see him as more than just a cop. “Yes, I am a Police Officer, but I am also a person. I mean, I am a husband, a father, a son, an uncle, a brother and friend—and I like to keep it 100%…PERIOD!” he declares.
Reflecting back, it is clear that Skipper’s entire life has been spent serving and protecting others both here and abroad. In fact, Skipper joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and completed his four-year stint with his brothers-in-arms. “I circumnavigated the globe by the time I was 22 years old and lead Marines into the combat zone of Iraq,” he humbly states.
Now, 2019, Skipper has a family on his own and stays a bit closer to home. Yet, his work here is just a small facet of what most see. When not working one of his five part-time jobs, Skipper is out golfing, hunting, or fishing. But, the perfect vacation for him is definitely a trip to Disney World with his wife and two kids.
Compared to his other jobs, though, serving as Central’s SRO is like savoring his favorite donut—a cream-filled Long John with maple frosting. In other words, life is sweet.

As a sophomore, joining the Blazer Pennant Newsmagazine this year is something I was really looking forward to--and still am! I am a happy daughter in...
Thanks for the article Bianca!! You did a great job
I have known Cody since he was a Cub/Boy Scout. He has become a model of personal character. That takes a long time to achieve. If parents want a role model for their kids to follow they need look no farther than Skip.
I knew his father growing up. I’m not surprised that he has turned out to be a wonderful person. His family was my family growing up
Great article Bianca! I met SRO Skipper on an airplane flight when he was coming home from boot camp. It was a chance meeting that has led to our family calling him our son in the Marines, This led to our praying for him and his brothers as they too served, and making and staying in contact with his family. We couldn’t be prouder of the man, the Marine, the husband, the father, the Police Officer and SRO whose heart, as you say is set on service to others.
You did a great job on this article young lady. Keep working hard.
Great job with this article! Well written and enjoyable to read!
Thank you Bianca for using your talents. You are a gifted writer and you did a great job on this article. SRO Cody Skipper is pretty special to me and I thought your writing suited him to a tee. Will “The BlazerPennant” continue under a different name starting this fall?a
Thank you Bianca for using your talents. You are a gifted writer and you did a great job on this article. SRO Cody Skipper is pretty special to me and I thought your writing suited him to a tee. Will “The BlazerPennant” continue under a different name starting this fall?
Sorry for the long delay in responding! We went into “summer mode.” The Blazer Pennant will continue under that same name for one more year! After the full merger, it is likely that we will adopt a unified name for the two publications. Thank you for reading our articles!
I know skipper outside of school and he truly is a great man