Our school is proud to have Deputy Kay as our School Resource Officer (SRO). Deputy Kay plays an important role in keeping our campus safe while also building positive relationships with students and staff. As a sworn law enforcement officer, his responsibilities include ensuring school safety, assisting during emergencies, and working closely with administrators to maintain a secure learning environment. Beyond safety, Deputy Kay serves as a mentor and resource for students, offering guidance, support, and education on making responsible choices. His presence helps create a school atmosphere where students feel safe, supported, and respected.
Deputy Kay thinks it is important for teenagers and the police to get along. He says this should start when they are young. When people asked him how young people can get along with the police, he said they should talk to their School Resource Officer. School Resource Officers are people that students see at school. They are usually the first police officers that students meet. He thinks that School Resource Officers can help teenagers and the police become friends. If students talk to their School Resource Officers and go to school events it can help them understand each other better. This can help teenagers and the police not be afraid of each other. He believes that School Resource Officers are very important because they can help teenagers and the police get along.
Policing can be a job but Deputy Kay was upfront about how tough it is. “We see a lot of things that people usually think are the worst things that can happen to them,” he said. Police officers are there when bad things happen, like when people lose someone they love or are in a crisis. These things can be really hard on police officers after a while. He says that a lot of people do not really get what police officers go through when they are doing their job. There are people behind the badge who experience lasting effects. It stays with them even when they are not working anymore. The badge is a symbol but the people who wear the badge have to live with what they witness and it can be really tough for them.
Deputy Kay has some advice for students on how to stay safe in their communities. He knows what he is talking about because of his job and because of something sad that happened to him. He says, “Do not get in a car with someone who has been drinking or taking drugs.” He is very serious about this. He had friends who died because of this. He really wants students to listen to him and be careful now that they are on their own more and more. He thinks students should always remember what he said about staying safe. Staying safe is very important to him. He also gave some tips on how to stay safe in daily life. He told the students that they should not meet people when they are buying or selling things on Facebook Marketplace. This is a reminder that bad things can happen when we least expect them even in situations that seem totally normal like buying something from Facebook Marketplace.
Deputy Kay wants students to know that the police department is responsible for what it does. “Do not judge us quickly. We hold officers accountable for misconduct,” he said. He thinks that when police officers do something it is taken very seriously. Police officers who break the rules have to face the consequences from their department. He believes that this is a part of being honest and making the public trust the police department. He says that the police department has to be accountable for its actions to maintain its integrity and improve the way the public sees it.
At the heart of Deputy Kay’s perspective is a desire for understanding on both sides. By encouraging honesty, open communication, and human connection, he hopes to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve. “We’re all just people,” he reiterated—a reminder that trust begins when people see each other not as stereotypes, but as individuals working toward the same goal: a safer, stronger community.