In the bitter cold of the Liberty parking lot he stands, watching the cars pass. Amidst the chaos of the hallways, he is a guardian of order. Yet, even as the students walk by, they know not of what he’s thinking. 

“I’m just here to keep an eye on things and see if anything is out of sorts,” Kinsley said. “It’s my responsibility to make sure students are acting accordingly, especially during passing period.” 

For 23 years, Kinsley has held the title of Liberty’s security officer. Throughout this time, he’s watched tens of thousands of students pass through the doors.

“I enjoy interacting with the students,” Kinsley said. “It keeps me young.”

Kinsley’s office can be found in the back of the administration wing, where the administrative staff are often visited by the LRC 2 students. 

“There may be an issue that needs to be dealt with, or they just come by and want to say hello,” Kinsley said. “We get to develop a relationship with them and it’s rewarding to see them prosper.”

Despite his current experiences of being the security officer, Kinsley also recalls a time where the students of Liberty were very different. 

“I’ve actually worked at Liberty for 25 years,” Kinsley said. “I came here around the 1998-1999 school year to be the boys basketball coach, and I also started coaching girls Fastpitch at the same time.” 

Two years later, the role of security officer opened and Kinsley has been the security officer ever since. 

“Over 23 years, the world has changed and so has my job here,” Kinsley said. 

When he became a security officer, Kinsley didn’t have to go through any additional training or certification, which today would be uncommon. Since then, Kinsley has gone through a significant amount of additional training. 

“It’s a necessary thing that we become more vigilant and learn to protect ourselves in order to be able to protect you guys,” Kinsley said.

In the past, where Liberty was a lot different than it is today, Kinsley could keep things more casual.

“Back in the day, we used to be able to wear whatever we wanted,” Kinsley said. “We didn’t have all of this.” 

Now, Kinsley’s signature outfit consists of a black shirt beneath a vest that’s filled with medical supplies, pens, and radios for both the district and the school. 

Although some students may think this unnecessary, the behavior of Liberty students has also shifted over the years. 

“Back then it was more of a blue collar demographic and kids were coming to school with gun racks on the back of their car. It was a different time,” Kinsley said. 

During his career at Liberty, Kinsley has witnessed it all, from playful hallway squabbles to full-fledged fights. 

“There are times when it gets tense and you have to deal with people’s anger,” Kinsley said. “I try to present a positive attitude, so I hope students can see that and act similarly.” 

Yet, even in the situation where he starts off in a bad place with a student, Kinsley refuses to give up on them.

“Not closing the door on students means you can see them mature and come along,” Kinsley said. “As they start behaving the right way, you’re able to develop a relationship with them instead of burning bridges right at the beginning.” 

Nowadays, Kinsley makes the effort to stop small conflicts, even if it seems they are merely play-fighting. 

“We can’t have that because it can escalate into something else and pretty soon it’s way bigger than it needs to be,” Kinsley said. “With the way the world is today, it’s better if you can keep that out of school,”

Regardless of everything that’s happened over the years, in seeing so many students over the years, Kinsley has learned to become more empathetic. 

“Just because a kid does something wrong it doesn’t make them a bad kid. That’s just part of growing up.”