It is with heavy hearts that Chesterton and Duneland School Corporation mourns the passing of beloved student resource officer (SRO), Randy “Officer Randy” Komisarcik. Known and loved by students and staff alike, “Officer Randy” kindly impacted everyone he knew. In light of his passing, staff members close to him share how “Officer Randy” positively influenced their lives.

“As for me, I worked with Randy for 24 years. He pretty much showed me how to be an SRO, I learned a lot of it from him because he did it for so much longer than me,” Swickard said. 

Officer Randy worked in investigation divisions for Chesterton’s Police Department, as well as patrol until his promotion to Corporal (2000), and Sergeant (2010), respectively. In 2011, Officer Randy was awarded the Lifesaving Award by the Chesterton Police Department following his act of the Heimlich maneuver on a choking student. Later instated as Duneland School Corporation’s first SRO in 2002, Officer Randy worked at Chesterton Middle School over the span of 18 years until his retirement in 2020.

Known for joking around with others, Officer Randy was a personable, kind man. Often recognized for his strength, Officer Randy, also held a deep respect and love for history.

“One of the things I want people to know is how smart he really was…he was very intelligent. He was passionate, particularly about World War II and the Viking culture… he was basically the History Channel,” Okeley said.

To commemorate his passing, Chesterton Police officers wore a mourning band strewn across their badges until his funeral while the badge outside the police department donned a black cloth in his honor. 

“For me, we just got ten years together. It was almost like a marriage; we just got that close,” Okeley explained.

As our community grieves for Officer Randy, may we also remember his remarkable impact on the lives of so many, and his benevolent character.