IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. -- Iredell County Sheriff's Office has 18 deputies assigned to schools.

But since schools have closed because of the pandemic, deputies are finding other ways to serve their community.

Deputy Rhyne Rankins is the deputy assigned to Brawley Middle School in Mooresville.

He is now doing security there while staff hands out school lunches.

Eight deputies have been assigned to patrol during the nightshift, others have been assigned to lake patrol on Lake Norman.

After school lunch handouts, Deputy Rankins visits businesses in the county that remain open to check on employees.

He says it's nice to see parents and students during lunch drop-offs.

"I tell them I miss them, I ask them how they're doing, are they still getting up at the same time, some of them have an alarm to get up for Facebook lives from their teachers," said Deputy Rankins.