“I feel like it’s a perfect fit for me trying to build that bond between children of the community and the police. With everything you see in the media, you see the bad side of stuff.”

Phil Osting graduated from Miami-East High School in 2002 and worked numerous jobs prior to starting the police academy. He eventually followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in the Police Academy because “It’s always been something I’ve been interested in.” He made his start in law enforcement with the Covington Police Department in 2006, then in 2012 started with the Miami County Sheriff's Office, and in 2021 started with the Tipp City Police Department. Phil Osting is now in his second year at Tippecanoe High School as a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO).

Phil Osting says, “I love Tipp City. You get a chance to get to know the people here. I could be out with my family in other areas of the county and students see me and yell, ‘Hey, Officer Phil!’ My younger daughter, who is 12, thinks I’m famous because so many people know me. So, it’s very welcoming.”

Osting was asked what he does at the High School. He said he’s out front every morning greeting kids, then walking around checking doors to ensure they’re locked. He talks about law enforcement in Government classes, and in Health classes, he talks about the dangers of drugs. He walks around the lunchroom at noon, just talking to kids and making sure everything’s OK. Osting described a “pre-law enforcement” class that was started last year. In this class, they go over the basic police academy curriculum dealing with case law, basic traffic stop procedures, and several other topics. One part of the class, Officer Osting, had other Tipp City officers come and assist with traffic stops. The students would have the opportunity to conduct traffic stops where they were able to play the role of the officer, and the Tipp Officers were the suspects. This gave the students a small look at what officers have to deal with and how the situation could change very quickly if they were not observant. Officer Osting says, “It gave the students an idea of what officers deal with on the patrol on a daily basis.”

Osting says kids come into his office to chat with him, talk about his Lego cars, and maybe even grab a snack. These interactions help the students see Officer Osting as a “regular person” who attends sports games and other school events in support of the student body. He likes the fact that the students get to “see his other side” and realize that law enforcement isn’t just about writing tickets and making arrests.

Phil says he’s not a counselor, but students can talk to him about anything. He tells students, “I’m here to help. If I can find another avenue to get you the help you need rather than the court system, that’s what I’m here for.”  He hopes that if they ever get stopped by a police officer, they will think, “Oh, this is just like Officer Phil.” That makes them feel more comfortable interacting with the police.

Officer Phil was also asked about his and the high school’s biggest challenges. He said vaping was one, so they now have vape detectors in the bathrooms, where students usually go to smoke. He mentioned that cell phones and social media are both distractions and bullying tools. Back in his day, if someone was being bullied, they left school, and it was over. Now, with cell phones, it’s a 24-hour problem. You leave school, and the bullying still goes on. Finally, his challenge is to “change the perception” of the students who don’t feel comfortable with law enforcement and understand that he’s not here to give consequences or hand out punishment.  He says, “I enjoy coming to work, building relationships with the kids, and then seeing them graduate.”

In closing, Officer Phil said, “The ultimate goal is for kids to get to know us, to build relationships between students and police officers. If we can do that, it makes everybody’s job easier later when the students become adults. Safety is also a big issue. Just so they all know we’re here to help.”