As First Responder’s Day is celebrated this week, Marshall County has welcomed a new but familiar face to its ranks. Langford native Keegan Schock was recently sworn in as a Marshall County Deputy Sheriff, marking the start of what he hopes will be a long career serving the community that raised him.
Schock, the son of Tim and Shari Schock, moved to Langford as a kindergartener and graduated from Langford Area High School in 2023. On his 21st birthday last Wednesday, he was sworn in by Judge Richard Sommers in the Langford library, a space filled with memories, including his graduation party.
“It’s kind of come full circle,” Schock said with a smile. “That library has seen a lot of milestones for me, so it felt right to start this new chapter there.”
Inspired Close to Home
The idea of going into law enforcement took root early. Schock first started thinking seriously about the field in middle school. “For a minute there I wanted to go to the NFL,” he admitted, “but law enforcement stuck with me.”
The career path was encouraged by his mother, Shari Schock, who has worked as a longtime dispatcher for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. A cousin who serves as an officer in Aberdeen also helped solidify his interest. By his sophomore year, Schock joined the Law Enforcement Explorers Program, which offers hands-on learning opportunities for young people curious about policing.
A Homegrown Investment
When it came time to choose a college path, Schock found an opportunity that would shape his future in more ways than one. The Build Dakota Scholarship program provides full-ride funding for students in high-demand technical fields, including law enforcement, in exchange for a three-year work commitment in South Dakota after graduation.
Schock enrolled at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, where he earned his degree in criminal justice this spring.
Sheriff Sam Swanson said the county was more than willing to invest in Schock’s education after learning about the program.
“After digging into the scholarship and running the numbers, we realized it actually cost less than sending someone through all the required training on our own,” Swanson said. “And the benefit is huge because we already knew Keegan and had built a relationship with him through his internship.”
Marshall County became the first law enforcement agency in South Dakota to fully sponsor a Build Dakota Scholarship recipient, a move that Swanson said has already drawn interest from other sheriffs around the state.
“It’s a great opportunity for young people,” Swanson said. “They can finish school without a ton of debt and then come back and serve their communities, just like Keegan is doing.”
Hitting the Road
Since graduating in May, Schock has been working part time with the sheriff’s office while completing a six-month training period.
He said he is eager to get more time on the road, responding to calls for service and traffic stops. “The thing I like most is that every day is different,” Schock said. “Some jobs are the same thing every day, but this keeps you on your toes.”
Working in his home county does come with unique challenges. “You run into people you know, and that can be hard sometimes,” he said. “But most people understand you’re just doing your job.”
Sheriff Swanson agreed that hiring someone local has both advantages and challenges. “There’s already a lot of rapport there, which helps build trust,” he said. “The tough part is sometimes having to be punitive with people you’ve known your whole life. But they usually understand.”
For now, Schock is focused on learning all he can and giving back to the county that helped him get started. “I plan on staying in this area quite a while,” he said.
Sheriff Swanson said he is proud of the effort and enthusiasm Schock brings to the department.
