Suring School Establishes School Resource Officer

The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office and the Suring School District announce their collaborative effort to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO).

The SRO position comes with the support of the Oconto County Board of Supervisors and the Suring School District Board of Education. This position is newly developed and is the Sheriff’s Office’s very first SRO assigned to a local school.

The foremost goal of the SRO position is to optimize safety at the Suring School Campus by providing an on-site Sheriff’s Deputy. The SRO will work closely with the school’s faculty and administration to provide a secure and enjoyable learning environment while providing a high-visibility deterrent to any criminal or violent activity on campus. Community policing practices will be utilized, and the SRO will act as a liaison between law enforcement and students, their families, and the extended community.

The SRO position is held by Deputy Jess Keplinger, who has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office since 2019. Jess has a nearly 20-year history in Oconto County Law Enforcement and has previously served as Police Chief for the Village of Lena and the City of Gillett. While employed as Police Chief for these municipalities, Jess worked closely with each community’s schools and is excited to begin his full-time role as SRO for the Suring School District.