Kyle Renick was an only child of a former police officer and dedicated mother who felt his parents' love and support throughout his life. Now, he wants to give that support back to the people of Cole County training as a road deputy. By April 2, he will be a full-fledged lawman trying to make a positive difference in his community.
"My dad (Jack Renick) was a police officer with Capitol Police, and I always kind of had it in my blood that I wanted to do something (in) public service," Renick said.
Renick is a 21-year-old Jefferson City native who graduated from Helias High School. Knowing he wanted to go into public service, he first considered becoming a firefighter but decided burning buildings weren't his forte.
He obtained a job at the county jail and gained valuable law enforcement experience there for more than a year. He learned to navigate the department's hierarchy, work well with various sorts of people and investigate incidents within the facility.
"You learn how to talk to people," Renick said. "I had no idea how to talk to people before I started in the jail as far as dealing with their different problems, because it might be the worst day of their lives, and you're trying to help and respect them. We are not here to ruin their lives. We are here to help them with what they are going through."
After he completed the Field Training and Evaluation Program at the Law Enforcement Training Institute in Columbia, he returned to the jail for a short time until he was promoted to the road division, for which he is training.
"It was always my intention to go on the road and work out in the community," Renick said. "I've always wanted to be a community policing officer, you could say. Not always in the car, but out talking to people."
Along the way, Renick's father urged him to be positive and persevere through learning new things and 12-hour work shifts.
For now, Renick said, his training has been going well. He is working with the department's detectives, learning the scale of some of Cole County's crime issues, like the drug trade.
"I didn't know a whole lot about narcotics in Jefferson City, and it really opened my eyes to the drug problem in Cole County and Jefferson City," he said. "I didn't really think it was that bad of a problem until I realized how much we were dealing with it on a day-to-day basis as a patrol deputy or even working with detectives."
Renick said it is important for police officers to be involved in their communities and hopes it will show people the police are there to help people, not just issue traffic tickets.
"Don't hesitate to contact us," he said. "That's what I tell people when I'm talking with them. We are here for them."
After he gains experience on the road, Renick said, his dream job is becoming a school resource officer, helping to mentor and protect area students.
"I guess (I want to) try to help kids get on the right path," he said. "I know there's counselors in the schools, but someone may need to talk to who the counselor can't take care of. My (parents) were always big role models and supported me through everything, and it's kind of trying to pay back to them what they did for me and give that to the public. I don't have any brothers and sisters who I could mentor, but if I could get out there and help someone else, it's going to be a plus."