Safety Officers

William N. Lindsey, Jr. (Bill) graduated from South Spencer High School in Rockport, IN. He attended University of Southern Indiana where he played baseball and graduated with a B.S. in Art and is currently finishing up his second degree in Computer Graphics and transitioning into Education. After college he continued to play baseball with the Evansville Outlaws until age 36. He has been manager of various Fortune 500 companies including Nabi Biomedical, Indianapolis Blood Plasma and IVDL. Bill has lived in Westfield for 16 years and has been an Asst. Varsity Baseball Coach for the past seven years. Prior to taking the (SSO) position, Bill was employed as a Cable and Wire Engineer for IUPUI for 15 years. In 2015 Bill decided to leave IUPUI and become an IA at Westfield High School in the ESL department and in 2017 was offered the position of (SSO) at Westfield Middle School. This is Bill’s first year as School Security Officer (SSO) stationed at WMS.

Sergeant Tyler W. Dougherty is an officer with the Westfield Police Department.  Officer Tyler attended Wabash College prior to becoming a law enforcement officer.  After graduating in 2009, Officer Tyler became a law enforcement officer with the Wayne County Sheriff Department in 2011.  Officer Tyler served as a patrolman, Crash Reconstructionist, and Investigator for Crimes against Children until 2016.  Officer Tyler began his career as an officer with the Westfield Police Department in 2015 and is a Crash Reconstructionist.  Officer Tyler became a School Resource Officer in August 2016 and was promoted to Sergeant in 2020.  He covers the Westfield Washington Schools' Elementary Schools along with supervising the SRO program.

Dirk Harris is a graduate of Marion High School and then attended Ball State University.  After college, Dirk began a career working as a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Enforcement Officer and served in that capacity for 32 years until retiring in 2007. This is Dirk’s fifth year working for Westfield Washington Schools as a School Security Officer (SSO) stationed at WHS.

Officer Chad Tribbett has served with the Westfield Police Department for nine years. He started as an SRO in February of 2019. As a graduate of WHS, he’s honored to be back in the building as the SRO to serve the staff and students.

Officer Joe Hopkins has been with the Westfield Police Department since 2004.  He has served as a bike patrol officer, field training officer, traffic accident reconstructionist, and is an FAA-licensed drone pilot.  He served in the U.S. Army prior to entering law enforcement.  Officer Hopkins is originally from Houston, TX and is a cum laude graduate of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK.  He became a School Resource Officer in October of 2021, and is enjoying the new opportunity and challenge.

Officer Nick Bonds graduated from Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, IN. He attended Vincennes University and graduated with a law enforcement degree.  Officer Bonds has over ten years of experience in law enforcement. Officer Bonds is looking forward to a great year with the Westfield Washington School Community!

Officer Casey Thifault has been with the Westfield Police Department since 2023. She began her law enforcement career with the Westerville Division of Police in 2021 after earning her law enforcement degree from Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio. Having attended more than ten schools as a child due to her mother’s military service, Officer Casey developed a deep appreciation for the role of School Resource Officers and the importance of connection and consistency in a school environment. She is passionate about building strong relationships with students and ensuring a safe, supportive learning environment for all. Inspired by an SRO in her own life, Officer Casey is honored to now serve the students and staff of Westfield Washington Schools in that same role!

Mark Van Slyke is a retired police officer from Bozeman, Montana. During his time as a police officer, he served as an SRO for 8 years in the high schools. While working in the high school, Mark was trained in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and was a certified forensic interviewer. Mark also worked in patrol and detectives. Mark and his family moved to Indiana in 2022 to be closer to family. Mark is very excited to be back working in the schools again.