ESCANABA — Local School Resource Officers (SROs) want students to feel safe not only in school but also around law enforcement.

The schools and county have been preparing should an active shooting occur in any of the county’s schools. Most recently, Gladstone High School served as the training site for an active shooter drill at the end of Aug., just before classes resumed.

“The training itself was probably one of the most realistic active shooter training that I’ve participated in,” said School Resource Officer for Gladstone Area Schools Mallory Nelsen.

Escanaba Area School Resource Officer Dustin Stempki, who also participated in the drill, agreed with Nelsen that the training was realistic and helpful for them to participate.

SRO for the remaining schools not within the city limits of Gladstone or Escanaba, Kyle VanDrese, agreed with Nelsen and Stempki that the training was a good thing to have, saying it was important to see different agencies working together towards a common goal.

The trio knows the importance of protecting schools in the community and forming connections with the students.

“I think that school security and keeping the school safe is very important, and (I am) happy to know that Gladstone has an SRO. And I thought that it would be kind of a fun, challenging, and interesting detail,” Stempki said.

Escanaba did not have an SRO for several years before reinstating the position a few years back. Now, Stempki has been the acting SRO for the past three years.

“It’s a great program. It definitely needed to be brought back,” Stempki said.

Nelsen previously worked for Ironwood Public Safety in a similar role, making her a perfect fit for the SRO position in Gladstone.

I knew I enjoyed being with the kids, so (I wanted to) help build that relationship between us and the kids,” Nelsen said.

Nelsen said it’s vital for her to develop a relationship with the kids so that they learn to trust law enforcement.

“We’re just people, so I think it’s great for the students to see that, and I do think that it makes them more comfortable with us being around more,” she said.

Stempki echoed Nelsen, saying youths in school should feel comfortable enough to approach their SROs.

“I always keep candy on my desk (and) encourage the kids to come in and introduce themselves and you know, talk to me (and) tell me stories — my office door is always open,” Stempki said.

He added that he is not there to be the disciplinarian but to be a resource for the school.

“I try not to be the enforcer on campus, but obviously if they violate the law then you know, at some point, I may have to step in,” he said.

VanDrese echoed Stempki, saying he wants to support school staff, but not act as the disciplinarian.“In any interaction or disciplinary action, I want to play the good guy,” VanDrese said.

He added that as much as they can, SROs try to show the positive side of law enforcement.

Nelsen agreed, saying that SROs are just people like everybody else.

“It’s okay to just have a conversation with us, you know, whether they’re in trouble or we need to talk to them — it’s just a good connection to make them comfortable with law enforcement for their future,” Nelsen said.

She elaborated that should the students be stopped by police in the future, they will have a positive experience to lean on.

“Just to have had this positive interaction with law enforcement, I think, prepares everybody to handle every interaction with law enforcement,” she said.

She added that she hopes her presence also encourages students not to hesitate to call 911 when needed.

“A lot of people have that hesitation to call 911 so hopefully, this will deter that as well,” Nelsen said.

VanDrese agreed, saying connecting with the students is one of the main jobs they do daily.

“(I want to) just give them a person to go to if they need anything,” VanDrese said.

Each SRO said each day is different for them, saying the course of their day varies.

They patrol the school zones in the morning, trying to be visible to students and the public. They try to visit each school every day to ensure things are running smoothly in each building.

“It’s a pretty busy detail,” Stempki said.

Stempki and Nelsen have a combined 36 years of experience in law enforcement between them, and neither ever thought they would be needed in the schools as a deterrent and protector from an active shooter.

“Never in my career, my 21-year career would I think I’d be working in the school,” Stempki said.

Nelsen agreed, saying she never thought active shooter training would be as intensive as now.

“I don’t think I would’ve thought active shooter training would be such a big thing when I started in law enforcement,” she said.

She mentioned her time in school, saying she had an SRO but didn’t think much about it.

“I don’t remember ever really understanding why he was there. I just knew he was and I didn’t really think twice about it,” Nelsen said.

In today’s world, Nelsen says the kids are more aware of why SROs are in the schools.

“Now, I think the kids have more understanding of my presence here,” she said.

Stempki wanted to encourage students and their parents to get to know their SRO, as they are in the schools frequently.

Parents, students, and community members can breathe a little easier knowing that Nelsen, Stempki, and Vandrees cover the county’s schools and keep students safe.

“I think we have a good group of school resource officers,” Nelsen said.