By Joaquin Aguilar Flores, KFCS
For any teenager, it might be a daunting encounter to walk by or see a police officer at school. A student may wonder why a police officer is at their school.
Klamath Falls City Schools School Recourse Officers provided some comfort and clarity to students at Klamath Learning Center, through a class had with Klamath Works Project Manager, Sean Winters, this past Tuesday.
The class with Winters, periodically gives students a chance to hear from many people in various professions in the community. Klamath Falls Police Department School Resource Officers, Tyler Young and Zach Fuller, might be familiar faces in any building at KFCS.
Young currently works at Klamath Union High School, while assisting at Conger Elementary School and Pelican Elementary School. Fuller is stationed at Ponderosa Middle School and patrols Roosevelt Elementary School and Mills Elementary School.
Young shared first during a morning class with students, speaking about his experience in The United States Marine Corps and the importance of being in college or gaining work experience before becoming a police officer.
Students were eager to hear about the time Young spent in the police academy, which included having him sprayed in one eye with pepper spray, holding a brain during an autopsy and the pain he felt when he was tased with a taser.
“It is the worst pain I have ever felt; it feels like a jackhammer hitting right inside your brain. I would take that over getting pepper sprayed because it lasted hours,” Young said.
Before becoming a SRO, Young spent time as a patrol officer, evidence technician, training officer, academy evaluator and detective. When he is not at a school, Young assists detectives.
A well-known abduction case which occurred off North Eldorado Avenue this past year, it was Young who took photos from the case and helped with the investigation.
“It seems like I should be able to come up with a mold of what makes a good cop but there is just not a good mold for that. There are many ways you can become an officer,” Young said. “A good friend of mine in San Diego, a cop, was shot three times from close range by an AR-15 and was in a medically induced coma but he did recover.”
Young and Fuller shared a myriad of stories they had from being police officers, many which moved students and left the room in silence. Young, as a detective for the San Diego Police Department, solved a case given to him abruptly.
“There was a guy in a bus and he creeped close to someone and eventually stabbed them 10 times. The person survived but there was no information on the suspect,” Young said. “Many people do not know, in bigger cities, you can rely on cameras. It took days, but I was able to find the suspect on camera buying alcohol. In the store he was in, he typed in his birth date and I found him through our system. He is serving 17 years.”
Young and Fuller’s responsibilities are being one-third a counselor, teacher and cop. Both officers emphasized how they want students to see them as approachable.
“I am not here about that one time you smoked weed and show up at your house and have this gotcha moment,” Young said. “If you got it (drugs) going at home, I get it. There is a lot of things to work through, I am happy to help you and provide resources and work with you but you do not need to worry about me sneaking up on you.”
Young also shares the United States Bill of Rights with students as a counselor, going into detail such as the fourth amendment, which protects them from unreasonable searches but how, in certain situations, cannot say no to a teacher.
KLC sophomore, Kaylub McNeil, was well-informed about specific details regarding Young’s presentation. As Young spoke about the benefits of being in the military, McNeil hinted how the family of someone in the military, if they had a disability, would have their college paid for.
“It is just curiosity killed the cat. There’s a lot of different things you can learn from different aspects of life,” McNeil said. “Hearing about experiences and gaining knowledge helps me ultimately figure out what I want my future to be.”
McNeil’s parents, Scott and Shay Farris, were both in the military. His father served seven years in the United States Army as an infantry soldier. His mother served 15 years in the Army National Guard.
Fuller’s father was a police officer, his reason for choosing the profession. In 2017, a good friend to Fuller passed away and gave him more motivation after both had the ambition to join law enforcement together.
“I said, this is his dream and my dream; I am doing it for both of us,” Fuller said. “Even if you think it is a silly question and ask about a restraining order, or someone stole your bike and you do not know what to do, just ask.”
Amanda Ralph, a junior at KLC, did not hesitate to raise her hand once her instructor asked the class if there was anyone in the room who wanted to be a future police officer.
“Eventually, I think I might want to get into police work,” Ralph said. “My grandpa used to be a cop. Hearing all the stories he (Fuller) had really left me with something to take home and remember.”
