Pictured above: Deputy Mystic Smith (left) and Deputy Kyle Doiron (right)
Who are our SRO's?
If you've ever needed to go into the downstairs A building during lunch, then you've probably been greeted by or even joked with Deputy Kyle Doiron or Deputy Mystic Smith, the school resource officers (SRO). According to Deputy Doiron, his job is to deal with and properly handle any legal issues within the school. Here are a few ways the officers make school a safe space.
Smoking devices
Some articles refer to teen/adolescent smoking as an "epidemic." In 2023, 10% of middle and high school students reported current tobacco product use, according to the CDC. Deputy Doiron and Smith confiscate and destroy illegal items every week from students. "If it needs to be disposed of, I can take it to our headquarters' evidence room, where it will be properly disposed of. Otherwise, I can store it in my cabinet and lock it in until a parent can come pick up the item," Deputy Doiron said. Richland Northeast has a strict no smoking policy on campus, including cigars, nicotine vapes, THC devices and lighters.
Guns and weapons
Deputies Smith and Doiron try to keep up with the latest weapons and gun alternatives. The most recent recorded incident was on April 4, 2023, when a 17-year-old student was found with a 9 millimeter outfitted with a laser scope. When asked how often he confiscates weapons on campus, Deputy Doiron replied, "Not as often anymore." When confiscated, the officers have to make sure the weapon is not involved in any other incidents or stolen. "If we need to run a background on a weapon, especially a firearm, what I'll do is contact our dispatch and they'll run it through something called NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and they run the gun using the serial number to decide if it has been stolen or not," Deputy Doiron said. All gun-related items are prohibited from any Richland 2 campus, including BB guns and SPLAT guns pictured above.
Fighting and Assault
Richland Two has a strict no-fighting policy on all school campuses. Deputy Dorian said his job during a violent altercation is to "stop the assault from happening. If it is occurring, stop it and proceed to charge, if a charge is needed." According to an article written by The State, in the fall semester of 2023, four Richland 2 high schools had at least one assault-related incident. Richland Northeast had seven assault calls during that period. Even with these statistics, Deputy Doiron believes Richland Northeast has had a decline in violent occurrences compared to previous years. "I think harsher consequences for fighting when they're not supposed to and just harsher punishments as a whole [have lowered incidents]," Deputy Doiron said. Deputy Doiron has been mentioned in many articles written by WIS NEWS 10 relating to violent incidents at Richland Northeast, most recently on December 5, 2022, where he can be seen on video tasing and handcuffing two students after a violent altercation in the cafeteria.
Student Relations
Despite Deputy Doiron's position as an SRO, some students see him as a friend. "They always help me with my grades, and they treat you like their own kid and make sure that you're safe," sophomore London Lynch said. Deputy Doiron believes student relations are important. "I have had students inform me of incidents prior to them happening and they've also informed us of weapons on campus, threats made on campus especially things through social media," Deputy Doiron said. Deputy Doiron believes it's important for students to know he's open to communicating if they need anything.
Deputy Doiron and Smith are available through email or contact with an administrator. Deputy Doiron: (kdoiron@richland2.org) Deputy Smith: (mysmith@richland2.org)
Credits:
Nora Turner