New school officer is no stranger to students

There’s a new “kid” on the Grafton School District campus — police officer Raymond Sterling, who began work as the school liaison officer last week.

He received a warm welcome from students and staff, Sterling said.

“The students accepted me right away,” he said. “They give me high fives.”

Sterling comes to work at school in plain clothes but with his vest and duty belt, each day visiting one school in the system.

Much of his work, he said, is dealing with the administration on issues students have, everything from helping those having a bad day at school to those who have broken the law.

Sterling, who has been on the Grafton force for three years, is starting a new phase of his employment as the school resource officer, but he isn’t necessarily an unknown to students. He’s been a junior varsity basketball coach for the past three years.

He previously walked through the schools as part of his job, making sure students knew who he was.

“I’ve gotten to interact with students that way. Now, I get to interact with them every day,” Sterling said.

That interaction is just one of the reasons Sterling applied to become Grafton’s newest school resource officer.

Sterling, who grew up in the Milwaukee and Wauwatosa areas, said he’s always wanted to be part of the community and make an impact on people’s lives.

“I like to do a lot of community things, community events,” he said. “The community here is welcoming. The students here are welcoming.”

Sterling, 33, said he didn’t start out wanting to be a police officer. Like many boys, his goal was to play in the National Basketball Association.

And despite the fact his grandfather was a police officer, he had a somewhat negative view of police.

After graduating from Wauwatosa West High School, he joined the Marine Corps, serving from 2011 to 2015.

By then, he said, his perspective had changed.

“The older I got, I realized it’s an honorable profession and a good career,” Sterling said. And after talking to his grandfather, who he said is a positive role model, he made a decision.

“I wanted to do what he did,” Sterling said.

He earned an associate’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, then got a job with the Brookfield Police Department while working to obtain his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis on supervision and management from Herzing University in Brookfield.

“It was hard, but they were very flexible with my schedule,” he said.

He was with the Brookfield Police Department until 2023.

He planned to apply to the Grafton Police Department, but the hiring process closed so he instead joined the Pewaukee Police Department, spending about 10 months there.

During that time, Sterling became the temporary school liaison officer for Waukesha County Technical College and later the Pewaukee School District.

But once Grafton reopened its hiring process, Sterling applied there and was hired in 2023.

“Grafton gave me the opportunity to grow my career,” he said. Larger departments like Brookfield, he said, have younger officers and fewer retirements, offering fewer opportunities to move up.

And, Sterling said, being a smaller community, Grafton offers more opportunities to become part of the community and have an impact on it.

He’s done a good job, and in 2025 he was named the Village of Grafton and Ozaukee County Officer of the Year by the American Legion.

The village and the Grafton Police Department have been welcoming, Sterling said, and he and his family — he’s married and has a 4-year-old son and 5-month old daughter — have become a part of the community.

He’s thrilled to have a chance to give back, Sterling said.

Service has always been part of Sterling’s life.

He’s got four brothers and two sisters, and in high school he would watch over his siblings, something he said helped him mature at a younger age. He’s volunteered with Special Olympics, something he said gave him a valuable perspective on people with differences, and he has built a relationship with Balance Inc. and some of its clients.

Sterling said he always wanted to be a school resource officer, so when Grafton was preparing to hire a second liaison officer he applied and was hired. However, the position fell through. Then when the previous liaison officer’s contract expired, the position opened up again.

Sterling applied again, and he was again chosen to fill the spot.

“It’s been great so far. It’s been very busy so far, but I like to stay busy,” he said.

“I’ll be the school resource officer as long as they want me. I plan on being in Grafton the rest of my career.”