From combat arms instructor to drug-busting agent, Ohio University’s newest officer, Kevin Shively, is anything but dull.
Kevin Shively has intercepted drug smugglers at the border, taught troops how to fire machine guns and gone undercover with U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Now, months removed from those duties and thousands of miles away, Ohio University Police Department’s newest officer is looking forward to the relative peace and quiet of the university’s campus.
No matter how rowdy it may sometimes get, the former U.S. Border Patrol agent has seen worse.
Shively, 30, is from Leipsic, Ohio, in the northwest part of the state, but has roots in Athens County. He received his associate degree in wildlife conservation from Hocking College in 2006 and shortly after, he was enrolled in a co-op program with Hocking College and University of Rio Grande until 2008.
“During that time, I was enlisted in the (U.S. Air National) Guard,” he said. “That’s where I figured out I wanted to get into law enforcement.”
He also taught combat arms courses to troops while serving in the U.S. Air National Guard.
In 2009, Shively joined the U.S. Border Patrol, where he served until he was hired by OUPD.
“I have done a lot of stuff when I was an agent,” Shively said. “A lot of drug busts, a lot of deployment along the southwest border in Arizona and South Texas.”
Shively admits his job was tough, and can clearly point to his scariest assignment: a drug bust in the Del Rio sector of Texas, when he was merely two weeks out of training.
“There were shots fired at us the week before.” Shively said. “I was laying on the river, under the brush, and a speed boat comes over and I just see bodies coming out of the boat, and the sun is setting. I just remember sending my wife a text that said ‘Don’t wait up.’
“It was a 500-pound dope load, and I think they got all the bodies the next day.”
After serving with U.S. Border Patrol, Shively has many experiences that he will be able to channel toward his new position on the OUPD force.
“Having dealt with international borders for such an extended period of time, I have had the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world,” he said. “If there is one thing that I have learned from my time spent along the border is professionalism, politeness and fairness has gotten me further in any given situation and left me with a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.”
Gonzalo Olivarez, 25, who was Shively’s classmate in the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, said his departure was a loss for the whole operation.
“He was always somebody you could depend on, always out there working hard,” Olivarez said. “You can always count on him to have your back.”
Shively is currently attending the Southern Ohio Police Training Institute on Ohio University’s Chillicothe Campus, Lt. Tim Ryan said, where he earns $18.54 per hour.
He’ll graduate in December, and will then be assigned to a patrol once his position is made official in January. Coming off physically grueling work at the border, Shively said his training now mostly consists of studying, specifically the Ohio Revised Code.
Ryan said OUPD leadership has high expectations for the new recruit, citing Shively’s application and interviews.
Calling Shively one of his best friends, Olivarez said he’s happy Shively is “back home.”
Shively said he is also excited to be back home.
“I’m a big fan of Ohio University,” Shively said. “I worked with a rough crowd for a long time … (so) this is the crowd I want to work with.”
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