This is the third installment in a series about the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the nine major police departments in the area. This week’s installment provides an overview of the community service programs local law enforcement agencies offer or participate in. It also includes a story about the role school resource officers play in local school districts, highlighting the stories of several area SROs.
Click here to view other stories in this series.
Officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and other area police departments say they work to not only keep our communities safe, but also to build positive relationships through community service, like Shop with a Cop programs that raise money to buy gifts for children in need during the holidays.
Many law enforcement officers also work in local schools, trying to keep students and staff safe. Officials with the school districts and the law enforcement agencies say the connections the school resource officers make with students can have valuable, long-lasting effects.
Below is a list of the area’s law enforcement agencies and the community service programs they take part in. The number of resource officers the various agencies provide is also included.
Arnold Police Department
- Community programs: Arnold Police Explorers, Arnold Junior Police Summer Camp, Back the Blue trivia night, Shop with a Hero, Cop on a Rooftop
- School resource officers: Three, with two on the Fox campus covering Fox high, middle and elementary schools; one rotates between Rockport Heights and Sherwood elementary schools
Byrnes Mill Police Department
- Community programs: Shop with a Hero; Missouri Special Olympics Car Show and Polar Plunge; Parents Seminar on Teenage Drug and Alcohol Abuse; School Supplies Program; National Night Out; MoDOT First Impact Seminars; House Springs Elementary Ninja Warrior Competition
- School resource officers: None
Crystal City Police Department
- Community programs: Ride-along program for potential future police officers enrolled in a police academy; Shop with a Cop; annual National Night Out event
- School resource officers: The Crystal City School District pays approximately half of a full-time officer salary for police to respond to schools and school functions
De Soto Police Department
- Community programs: Shop with a Cop programs
- School resource officers: None
Eureka Police Department
- Community programs: Hot dog barbecue for high school seniors, community pool openings, Special Olympics, summer youth police academy, regularly attend senior lunches and chamber of commerce events
- School resource officers: Two – one at Eureka High School, one at Pathways School
Festus Police Department
- Community programs: Participation in Festus Home Owners Association; Jeffco Shop With a Cop; Missouri Special Olympics; Dunkin Donuts Cop on a Rooftop; Tip a Cop at Texas Roadhouse; and participation in several other activities/organizations
- School resource officers: Four
Herculaneum Police Department
- Community programs: Shop with a Cop and RUOK (Are You OK) service for older residents
- School resource officers: None
Hillsboro Police Department
- Community programs: Jeffco Shop with a Cop and community outreach events at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds
- School resource officers: Two assigned to the Hillsboro R-3 School District
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
- Community programs: Biannual 12-week Citizens Academy; Jeffco Shop with a Cop program; participates in parades, fairs, public safety presentations, Special Olympics fundraising, Prom safe events, community meetings, trunk or treats and other community events
- School resource officers: Seven full-time and several part-time assigned to schools in De Soto, Fox C-6, Grandview R-2, Jefferson R-7, Northwest R-1 and Windsor C-1 school districts
Pevely Police Department
- Community programs: Department participates in Shop with a Cop, High Five Friday at Pevely Elementary and collects school supplies
- School resource officers: None
Arnold Police officers Mike Prusinowski, left, and Kevin Wilson, right, with Acie Cardona, the granddaughter of Fox C-6 School District Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Tammy Cardona, during this year’s homecoming parade. Prusinowski and Wilson are school resource officers for the district.
School resource officers improve security, impact students’ lives
By Tony Krausz
School resource officers play important roles in Jefferson County and Eureka. While the officers’ primary duty is to promote safety and security at the schools where they’re assigned, they also have opportunities to impact students’ lives.
“I have brokered relationships with these kids,” said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brent Nanney, who has served as the Jefferson R-7 School District school resource officer for the past eight years.
“School safety is paramount, but within the day, I can show them that police officers are human, are just like everybody else, that we are here for them, that we do care, and if they need something, we will do to the best of our ability to help them.”
School officials also see the value the school resource officers provide.
Eureka High Principal Corey Sink said Eureka Police Officer Derek Ploeger, who has been an SRO at the Rockwood School District high school since January 2021, plays an essential role at the school.
“He serves as a bridge between students and law enforcement, helping build positive relationships and fostering trust,” Sink said. “He’s not only a protector, but also a mentor and role model who contributes daily to the positive culture of Eureka High School. Our partnership with the Eureka Police Department is truly invaluable. Together, we work to ensure a safe, supportive environment where every student can learn and thrive.”
Rockwood has another SRO – Police Officer Torre Kuelker, who is based at the district’s Pathways School, an alternative learning program in Eureka.
Fox High Principal Joe Salsman said he has a similar view about the importance of his building’s SRO, Arnold Police Officer Kevin Wilson, who has been assigned to the Fox C-6 School District high school since 2022.
“He is a valuable resource to have, as he and I meet every day to discuss potential safety concerns and to be proactive on any issues he sees that might need immediate attention,” Salsman said. “The relationships Officer Wilson builds with students is second to none. He is always visible throughout the school day. He is in the hallways, in the cafeteria and at sporting events.”
In Jefferson County, the Sheriff’s Office has seven full-time and several part-time SROs assigned to schools in the De Soto, Fox C-6, Grandview R-2, Jefferson R-7, Northwest R-1 and Windsor C-1 districts. The Arnold Police Department has three officers assigned to five Fox C-6 schools in the city, and the Festus Police has four SROs assigned to Festus School District schools. The Hillsboro Police has two SROs assigned to the Hillsboro R-3 School District.
Crystal Police Chief Chad Helms said his department does not have an SRO, but officers respond to Crystal City School District’s schools when called and are assigned to show up for some school functions.
School districts typically pay law enforcement agencies to help cover a portion of the SRO salaries. Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Tim Whitney said the median total cost for a deputy to serve as an SRO is $113,194, which includes salary, benefits, training contracts, equipment maintenance, vehicle maintenance and fuel.
Sheriff’s Office Deputy Andrew Dennis, one of two SROs for the Northwest School District, said it is important to balance keeping schools safe while fostering relationships with students and staff members.
“I need to be aware of the status of the campus and that everything is secure,” Dennis said. “If there are concerns, the district is very responsive and reach out to me or (Belcher). We can respond pretty quickly and make sure things are handled safely. The kids and staff also know I am there for anything.”
Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kyle Belcher is the Northwest district’s other SRO.
Becoming an SRO
Wilson said he has been a police officer for 15 years. He started his career with the Norfolk Southern Railroad Police Department as a special agent before joining the Union Pacific Railroad Police Department in the same role.
For the past seven years, he has been with the Arnold Police Department. He was assigned to road patrol before moving into the SRO role.
“I reached a point in my career where I was ready for a new challenge and a change of pace,” said Wilson, 37, of Byrnes Mill. “Through my career, I have developed a philosophy that the SRO position provides a unique opportunity for me to hopefully make a positive impact on students’ lives and help them avoid criminal behavior as they grow into adulthood. I strive to make a difference every day and to be available to help in any way I can.”
Nanney, 49, of Festus said he has been a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office for 26 years, and he also was looking for a change when Sheriff Dave Marshak asked him to become an SRO.
“I was undercover in narcotics for about 10 years,” he said. “I had been in kind of a world where everybody I dealt with tended to be of the criminal element. It was really nice to get to a spot where you were dealing with good people every day and kids, who are our biggest commodity.”
Dennis, 36, of Cedar Hill said he has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 10 years after working for just more than a year for the Jefferson College Police Department and about two months with the Herculaneum Police. He said he was on road patrol when Marshak asked him to step in as an SRO.
“I just felt like it is a better way to connect with your community,” he said. “You have a different type of interaction that is more positive. You get to mentor and educate kids on criminal matters, and that is pretty rewarding. I feel like it is a good way to help educate and deter possible issues in the future when they have positive interactions at a young age.”
Ploeger, 36, of O’Fallon said he has worked for the Eureka Police Department since 2011 and was on road patrol before the SRO position opened up when Brett Grittini, who is now a lieutenant, was promoted to corporal. He said he wanted to make the switch because he and his wife, Brittany, had twin boys the summer before he started working at Eureka High.
“I kind of looked at it as a way to work and be able to help out with twin newborns at home with that kind of schedule,” Ploeger said. “I had played football at Eureka and knew a lot of staff when I had gone to school here. It kind of seemed to me that it would be an easy transition to make.”
Ploeger, a 2007 Eureka High graduate, said his connection to the school helps him in his duties.
“It made it easier when I started here,” he said. “Although the walls have changed and new parts have been added to the building, it still felt like the same Eureka.”
Nanney and Dennis also are SROs at schools they attended.
The Jefferson R-7 district did not have a high school when Nanney was that age, but he was a student in the district through eighth grade, which he completed in 1990.
R-7 Superintendent David Haug said it is a benefit to have a former district student overseeing security.
“As a former Jefferson R-7 student, Deputy Nanney brings a personal connection to his role and the community,” Haug said. “His passion for the district is evident in his service on the Blue Jay Foundation. These long-standing ties with patrons creates a stronger bond and greater connection with our entire community.”
Dennis graduated from Northwest High in 2008. Valley Middle School Principal Spencer Storey said it’s wonderful having a former district student as an SRO.
“His past experiences help him understand the community he interacts with on a daily basis,” Storey said. “Northwest is a tight-knit community that looks out for each other and having someone like Deputy Dennis at our school who understands these values makes everyone feel safe and confident.”
Rewarding
The SROs said working in schools is gratifying.
“I spend a lot of time in special education classrooms,” Nanney said. “I see them succeed with our special education teachers. You also make bonds with kids, and when you see them out in public, they call your name and get excited.”
Wilson said he has enjoyed watching students grow and mature.
“The class of 2026 will be the first group I’ve seen from their freshman year through to their senior year,” he said. “It has been incredible to watch these students develop into outstanding young adults and prepare to begin the next chapter of their lives.”
Ploeger said he initially wasn’t sure he wanted to work at a school. However, he has since changed his mind.
“I am heading into year five, and I have had a great time,” he said.