Law enforcement had been on Tyler Bond’s mind for as long as he can remember. Growing up with a stepfather who served as a Virginia State Trooper, he always knew he wanted to follow a similar path.
But when he became a father at 19, plans shifted and supporting his family came first. He spent a couple of years working at a glass factory in Galax, doing everything he could to keep his household steady while holding onto the dream of becoming an officer.
When he was ready to again pursue the police academy, one big barrier remained: the cost.
That’s when People Incorporated of Virginia’s Workforce Development program stepped in, helping him access the training, support, and funding he needed to launch the career he’d been working toward since he was a kid.
Before the Badge
Tyler Bond always knew he wanted to wear the badge. He just didn’t know how he’d ever afford to get there.
He grew up watching his stepfather, a Virginia State Trooper, walk out the door each day with a purpose that stuck with him. By eight years old, Tyler could already picture himself in uniform. The path felt clear back then. Something he’d get to someday.
“Even at a young age, I knew it was going to be a rewarding career to get into, to help people out,” Tyler shares. “Probably since I was eight years old, that’s what I wanted to do.”
Life came fast instead.
At nineteen, he found out he was going to be a father. College moved to the background and life moved to the front. A few years later, he and his wife welcomed their second child, and he suddenly found himself a young dad of two with twice the responsibility on his shoulders.
The job he could get was the job he needed. Long shifts in the glass industry, steady paychecks, and the hope that his dream might find space again later.
“Financially, working at a factory with two kids, trying to raise a family — that was extremely hard,” he recalls. “I couldn’t do it on my own, so I needed some assistance. … A stepping stone to get me started.”
The stepping stone he had been hoping for — the support he needed — had a name he hadn’t known until then: People Incorporated of Virginia (People Inc.)
A Dream with a Price Tag and Finding People Inc.
Becoming a police officer wasn’t as straightforward then as it is now. Agencies weren’t hiring beginners or sponsoring recruits through the academy. If you wanted in, you had to find a way to pay the $6,000–$7,000 tuition yourself.
For a young father of two, paying that was impossible.
“There was no possible way I could fund this unless an agency hired me first and sent me through,” Tyler says. “Twelve or thirteen years ago it was a lot harder to get into police work. …Getting hired on with an agency with no law enforcement background — it was tough.”
Most people would’ve seen the roadblock and turned back. Tyler kept searching.
One night, he scrolled across something he hadn’t seen before: People Inc.’s Workforce Development programs. He showed the website to his wife, Katherine Bond, and together they decided it was worth reaching out to see if anyone could help him get started.
“I’d looked online and just happened to scroll across the website and seen the services,” Tyler says. “I spoke to my wife and said it’s worth a shot to reach out… to see if they’d be willing to help me get this journey started.”
He visited the Crossroads location and met Beth Carico, who was then a Senior Workforce Development Specialist at People Inc. and is now the Director of Workforce Development. She quickly became his main point of contact.
And that first conversation changed everything.
The Support That Made His Career Possible
Beth co-enrolled him in both the Youth and Adult Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs to make sure he had all the support he needed. His academy tuition, uniforms, and boots were covered. Weekly mileage reimbursement helped him get to and from class. And every week, Beth checked in with the paperwork, encouragement, and accountability he needed.
“Beth was really and truly my main source of contact,” Tyler says. “She told me, ‘As long as you stay compliant with what the police academy requires and what we need from you, we’ll support you 100%.’ …They even helped with weekly mileage reimbursement so I could afford the travel back and forth to training. They funded all my uniforms, the cargo pants, the boots.”
The path that once felt out of reach finally felt doable.
“From start to finish, there were no complaints on my end. She [Beth] had it down to a science.”
That “science” came from years of experience. At the time, Beth was a Senior Workforce Development Specialist at People Inc., working hands-on with participants every day. She now serves as the agency’s Director of Workforce Development, overseeing multiple programs that help people build careers, remove barriers, and take steps toward long-term stability. Her work has always centered on meeting people where they are and helping them move forward with confidence.
When she looks back on Tyler’s journey, she remembers how much effort he put in:
“I may have been familiar with the process and the ins and outs of what Tyler needed to do to make his dreams a reality, but he’s the one who put everything on the line and took the leap of faith to begin this journey. He put in the hard work day in and day out to excel in his training, which set the foundation for him to excel in his career.”
Beth emphasizes that the programs only work when the person is ready to put in the effort. That’s been the heart of her approach across every role.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the impact he has made and is making in his community, but the credit is not ours. It’s his. I used to tell my clients, ‘you will get out of this program what you put into it. I cannot do it for you, but I’ll be here to support you every step of the way.’ When they reached success, I would tell them, ‘I didn’t do anything. You did it all.’ The same is true for Tyler. I didn’t do anything. He did it all.”
First Years on the Job: Reality Hits Hard
Tyler graduated from the police academy in December 2013. By January 2014, he was hired by Radford University. For the first time, he could breathe financially. His family felt steady again.
But stepping into law enforcement at twenty-one wasn’t easy. He was enforcing the law on people his own age, sometimes even younger. The learning curve was steep, the stakes high, and the emotional toll surprising.
“Until you get in this line of work, you’re kind of oblivious to what people really go through. You see people at their best and their worst all in the same day,” he says.
Working at a university brought a whole new kind of learning curve. Students came from every corner of Virginia, each with different backgrounds, perspectives, and ways of communicating. It was a stark shift from what he was used to growing up in Grayson County, and it pushed him to adapt fast.
He found himself talking to people from all walks of life, often in moments of stress or crisis, and those conversations taught him skills he would carry through every chapter of his career.
“You learn how to talk to people fast in this line of work.”
A New Chapter: Serving Kids and Community
Tyler spent nearly nine years at Radford University, years that shaped him as both an officer and a leader. He became a Field Training Officer, a General Instructor, and eventually a Patrol Sergeant.
“I developed a lot of good traits and training as a sergeant,” he says.
But shift work never slowed down. Nights, weekends, and holidays came and went while his kids grew up at home. The strain of missing so many moments began to weigh on him.
“I enjoyed that job, but I was missing out on a lot at home.”
That realization opened the door to a different kind of service.
Today, Tyler serves as a School Resource Officer with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, working at St. Paul School in Cana, Virginia. He partners closely with Principal Josh Edmonds, teachers, and staff to keep students safe and supported.
“You can tell when a kid is having a bad day and flip that around for them,” he says. “That’s pretty rewarding.”
The school embraced him quickly. Teachers, staff, and administrators made him feel like part of a community.
“This school is close-knit. It’s like working with a family.”
And after years of fast-paced patrol work, settling into a Monday through Friday routine felt almost unreal. He still jokes about going back to patrol work one day.
“My wife says I better not,” he laughs.
Where He Stands Today
After more than a decade in law enforcement, Tyler finally feels grounded in a role and setting that suit him. Joining the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp, brought him back to his home region and the sense of belonging he had missed.
“It was like a breath of fresh air being able to work in your home community,” he says.
He has not spent much time thinking about the distant future, but he knows he hopes to retire with the department he is serving now. He is twelve years into his career and has about fifteen more to go, a milestone he would like to reach.
“As long as I am doing it with this department, I think that is going to be great,” he says.
At home, the next generation is already watching. His oldest son, now fifteen, has started showing real interest in law enforcement. He likes the fast cars, the computers in the vehicles, and all the gear that comes with the job. When they started talking about careers, it became clear where his son’s mind was headed.
“That was one of the first words out of his mouth, law enforcement. So, I thought I must be doing an all-right job at it if he is wanting to look into it,” Tyler reflects.
Tyler supports his interest and encourages him to explore the field. His son even joked about working for the sheriff’s office one day.
“That would be kind of wild if me and him were working at the same department one day,” Tyler adds.
The First Step That Made It Possible
Tyler’s path into law enforcement started with one important step. He walked into People Inc.’s Workforce Development office as young father of two who still believed in the dream he had as a child. People Inc. helped him access the training, funding, and structure he needed when the path forward felt out of reach.
“They gave me the courage and the foundation to jump into law enforcement with both feet.”
More than eleven years later, that support continues to echo through the students, families, and community members he works with every day. For anyone hoping to follow a similar path, Tyler shares a key piece of advice:
“If one door closes, do not think that is the end. Just keep going because there’s other avenues out there. My path might be completely different than someone else’s. As long as you get where you are going, that is what matters.”
He hopes future officers know that the road into the field is not always easy, but it is always worth pursuing.
“Just never give up. If that’s what your dream is, you got to keep pushing.
People Incorporated of Virginia offers both Adult Workforce Development and Youth Workforce Development services, providing career coaching, training support, financial assistance for certifications, and pathways to stable employment.
Explore our available Workforce Development programs and connect with our team at the links below:
• Adult Workforce Development
• Youth Workforce Development
Written by Michelle Fleury, People Inc. of Virginia
For communications, marketing inquiries, or partnership opportunities with People Incorporated of Virginia, please contact Michelle at mfleury@peopleinc.net.
