Tyler Thornborrow is generally known as a school resource officer in Shawano, but an honor recently awarded by the Wisconsin Assembly reveals that his work extends long after the children go home for the day.
Thornborrow joined more than 90 others Oct. 14 at the Capitol to receive the Assembly First Responder award. Representatives were able to nominate police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel for the honor, and Rep. Elijah Behnke noted that Thornborrow received a lot of nominations from colleagues and residents in Shawano to get the nod for the 6th Assembly District.
“Both sides of the aisle get pretty excited to celebrate some local hero in their own district,” Behnke said.
Thornborrow is in his fourth year as a school resource officer, but he has been in law enforcement for 20 years. He took on the position after longtime officer Jody Johnson retired, and he said he doesn’t plan to step down as a school resource officer anytime soon.
“It’s very humbling,” Thornborrow said. “I’m sitting there (in front of the Assembly) and thinking I’m a school resource officer in Shawano, Wisconsin. I’m sitting down there at the state Capitol, surrounded, and they bring in these officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. You’re standing there in the rotunda of the Capitol, and you’re surrounded by greatness.”
Behnke noted that he didn’t really know Thornborrow prior to the awards ceremony, but after reading the recommendations and talking with the officer the day of the event, it was clear why Thornborrow was deserving of the honor. He said that Capt. Shane Stange with the Shawano Police Department had a lot to say when Behnke called looking for nominees.
“The resource officer had done so much off the clock, whether it was taking phone calls from kids in a bad mental state at 3 in the morning or going and personally checking on the kids’ health and safety by driving to their house,” Behnke said. “As I got to know him yesterday, he really goes above and beyond.”
Behnke cited the programs that Thornborrow has personally or with the help of the police department and school district developed, including one that’s been in effect for two years called We Need You Here that encourages students to be in school every day with potential rewards for students who answer the call.
“He’s kind of like an extra parent there to look after the kids,” Behnke said. “To the elementary school kids, he’s the brand ambassador of respecting our law enforcement, and at the high school, he’s breaking up fights and taking away vape pens. He’s got quite the dichotomy in the way he serves in the two different schools.”
When hearing that, Thornborrow said that the two sets of students require different handling because of the age difference.
“At Hillcrest, it’s more guidance and relationship building,” Thornborrow said. “At the high school, do we have our discipline issues? Of course. Every high school does, but you’re able to talk to them like they’re adults, and they can report things to you, and you’re able to make an impact on some of their lives. I wish I could make an impact on every one of these students’ lives.”
Behnke said Thornborrow has also been imbued with talent to get private donations to keep the community connection during the summer months with picnics not only in Shawano but also working with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department and the police officers with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans for positive events in other communities.
Thornborrow noted that when he went to businesses to ask for help with the We Need You Here campaign, everyone stepped up.
Behnke also got the chance to meet Thornborrow’s wife and two children, who attend Bonduel High School. He noted that Thornborrow’s son navigated the family through the Capitol to find Behnke’s office.
“The son’s never been in the building, but he navigated through to find my office,” Behnke said. “That is harder than it sounds. I got lost four times in my first couple of months, so the fact that he got to my office without having to call my staff’s cell phone to get help to find me — kudos to his son.”
Behnke noted that Thornborrow got choked up at the ceremony, but most of the words about the honor came from Thornborrow’s colleagues.
“I don’t make up the fluff because I don’t want to say nice things about someone I don’t know,” Behnke said. “This was all the emails compiled on his behalf from his colleagues. He’s reading all these compliments, and I’m saying, ‘This isn’t political fluff. This is what your colleagues said about you.’ He got choked up when he realized that the people who work with him day in and day out really do respect him.”
Thornborrow said he was amazed at all the kind words but wasn’t completely convinced that what he does day in and day out moves him up to a hero status.
“I treat people right,” Thornborrow said. “I do the absolute very best that I can. I put my whole heart into everything I do, but to be standing there surrounded by people who have done some pretty amazing things, it’s pretty cool.”
Thornborrow recalled during the ceremony hearing someone talk about the support systems that the first responders have to have to be successful. He said it made him think about all the good people in the police department and community who stand by what he does, as well as his wife, son and daughter.
“How could you not succeed with that backing you?” Thornborrow said.
Every day, Thornborrow takes to heart the message that every child needs a champion, something instilled in him by Johnson before she left. While the Assembly’s honor means something in relation to that message, he finds just as much honor in the things he has received from students like rocks, photos, coffee mugs and hockey pucks.
“We’re there to be that trusted adult,” Thornborrow said.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
