By: Gregori Dobie and Caleb Allen
One of the most familiar faces in Pinckney high school is Deputy Gwinn, the school’s resource officer (SRO).
Deputy Gwinn said he first wanted to be a police officer back in elementary school. Seeing police cars race by with lights and sirens made him think officers were the “toughest guys on earth,” and he wanted to be the person people could call when they needed help.
Over the past 22 years, Deputy Gwinn has worked a lot of different jobs in law enforcement. First starting in the county jail, then working night shifts on road patrol, to spending time in the courts, and later serving in Putnam Township. When the SRO position opened up here at Pinckney, he liked the idea of working in a smaller community, having a normal Monday–Friday schedule, and helping keep students safe.
Working in a school is very different from regular police work. He says only about 10% of his day is actual police duties. The rest is spent helping students, talking with staff, checking building security, and solving small problems before they get bigger.
Gwinn’s favorite part of the job is the everyday interactions with students and staff joking around, saying “Hi” in the halls, and going to games. He enjoys getting to know students when nothing bad is happening.
There are tough parts too.
Since he covers the whole district, he sometimes has to handle several things at once without the backup he would normally have on road patrol. He also has to talk with parents and work with school staff, which adds extra steps to each situation.
To build trust, Deputy Gwinn tries to be consistent and fair. He wants students to see that he’s here to keep everyone safe, not to get people in trouble.
Deputy Gwinn says being a good SRO takes patience, experience, and actually liking to work around kids. It also helps to understand what students are going through and keep up with trends.
One idea he still follows from the police academy is “Another day, another way,” meaning not every situation can be solved right away and that’s okay.
For students interested in law enforcement, Deputy Gwinn suggests joining a larger agency because it offers more career options and opportunities to grow.
