Stein worked in police enforcement for 29 years before retiring this spring. He served 16 years as the Middleville officer and already knows many of the families and students in the area. He also coaches boys middle school basketball for the last 10 years.
Stein said he wants to be a positive addition to the district and create community relationships with students.
“It’s awesome to be able to interact with the students in a different capacity and show them police officers are humans too and not just out to get people,” he said.
So far, Stein said the reaction and support he’s received from students, staff and the public, is overwhelming and extremely positive.
“It’s been nothing but positive. The students are great and hopefully we’ll be able to create some open communications,” he said.
Superintendent Tom Enslen said having a resource officer is a very positive thing for the district.
“Safety is the number one priority for our students. We are delighted to bring in such a well-respected community member to the district. Tony Stein has been in the community for a number of years and knows a lot of the student body and families already. He’s an absolute perfect fit for the district.”
Enslen said Stein’s role will be to assist with safety at all schools, make connections with students and staff, and work with local law enforcement.
“Having a resource officer has been a missing link in our district for a number of years. I’m so glad we’re able to offer this position to Tony and have him here at TK,” said Enslen.
Stein said truancy is a growing issue and he will be working with school administrators throughout the year to try and combat the trend and keep students in school.
“It’s about making sure parents are aware of what’s going on and finding other solutions. Each situation is unique. I’ll be talking with parents and students to find solutions,” said Stein.
Stein will also help with overall emergency management issues within the district and will assist with drills and training as needed as well as possible additional programs in the future.
Stein said the goal is to create interaction with students to they feel comfortable coming to him with problems, issues in the schools and even tips of possible dangerous situations. He said students can talk with him anytime and know they are safe telling him things.