DIXFIELD — Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steve Cronce is the new Regional School Unit 56 school resource officer, Superintendent Pam Doyen announced Nov. 18.

Cronce joins the Dirigo school community, comprised of Dixfield, Canton, Carthage and Peru, with 14 years of law enforcement experience. He began his duties Nov. 17.

“It was very nice that he was able to jump in so quickly,” she said.

Doyen said Justin Onofrio, who had been employed with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office as a school resource officer for RSU 56 since March 7, 2024, resigned effective immediately Nov. 13.

RSU 56 was notified on the same day.

Doyen said the district has a grant for the position, so she messaged Sheriff Christopher Wainwright, who said he would post the position. Within a week he said he had someone.

Cronce is a certified Drug Abuse Resistance Education instructor and Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate instructor, Doyen said. He is committed to providing students and staff with meaningful safety education, positive mentorship and a consistent, approachable presence on campus, she added.

According to his biography, he believes that strong relationships among students, families, educators and law enforcement are the foundation of a safe and supportive learning environment.

Cronce “was able to transition from his street duty to this, so that it made it amazingly great,” Doyen said.

“I took him to all three schools,” Dirigo High School, Dirigo Middle School, both in Dixfield, and Dirigo Elementary School in Peru. “So, he’s jumping in with both feet,” she said. “We’re excited we were able to fill it so quickly. We’re very, very happy about that, and that he has that much experience.”

Doyen said, “He’s getting to know our towns. I think he’ll make good relationships and we’ll be able to move forward, with just this little blip on the radar. We were very lucky.”

Throughout his career, Cronce has served in a variety of roles, including patrol investigations, field training officer and school resource officer.

Cronce has been serving in the Maine Army National Guard since 2020. He is a human resources officer with the 133rd Engineer Battalion. He is also a member of the Paris Select Board.

Doyen said Cronce will focus on proactive safety, trust-building and being a reliable resource for students, whether they need guidance, support or simply someone to talk to.

Outside of work, Doyen said Cronce is a dedicated family man who enjoys playing music and spending time outdoors.