STATE CENTER, IA — State Center police joined West Marshall High School students as they toilet-papered teachers’ homes and even the police station during homecoming week. The long-running prank has become a local tradition tied to school spirit, but officers now take part instead of simply watching from a distance.
Chief Jon Thomas said the department decided to get involved after years of seeing more aggressive behavior during the prank nights. He said some teachers were hit multiple times in a week, and there were also reports of soap on windows and landscaping damage at some homes. This year, though, the mood was more playful than tense, with students and officers taking part together.
How the toilet paper tradition changed over time
The toilet papering tradition has been part of West Marshall homecoming celebrations for years. What started as a student prank eventually became something the police department felt it needed to help manage, especially when property damage became a concern.
Thomas said the department made a conscious choice to join the students rather than stand apart from them. That shift helped turn an act that could have been treated as a nuisance into a shared event with clearer boundaries. By taking part, officers also signaled that the department was aware of the custom and willing to engage with it in a more positive way.
The result, according to Thomas, was a tradition that kept its fun without carrying the same level of friction it had in earlier years.
A nighttime route that now includes officers
About 60 students took part Thursday night, making it a sizable group for the annual prank run. Instead of trying to push the police away, the students welcomed them along for the outing and included the department in the joking atmosphere.
Thomas said the students’ reaction has changed over time. At first, they were nervous about having officers with them, but that quickly gave way to comfort and familiarity. He said the group reached a point where students would say goodnight and look forward to seeing the officers again the next evening.
That acceptance has become one of the evening’s biggest takeaways. For the police, it has shown that a potential point of conflict can be turned into a moment of connection when expectations are clear and everyone understands the limits.
Why police say they joined the prank instead of stopping it
Thomas said the department wanted to reinforce that police are not only there to punish or create trouble for students. He said officers can be a consequence when needed, but they can also be part of a positive community moment.
That message appears to be central to why the department chose to participate. Rather than treating the prank as something that had to be shut down entirely, police used their presence to guide the event and keep it lighthearted. The approach also gave officers a chance to connect with students outside of a formal setting.
By participating directly, police also made it less likely that the evening would drift back toward the more disruptive behavior Thomas described from past years.
Homecoming week gives the tradition a bigger stage
The prank night took place during West Marshall’s homecoming celebrations, which helped give the tradition added visibility and meaning for students. Homecoming events often bring a school community together, and in this case the toilet papering became part of that broader atmosphere.
For students, the event offered a familiar rite of passage tied to school pride. For teachers and police, it was a chance to keep the tradition within a framework that was fun rather than destructive. The partnership suggested that the custom has evolved from a simple prank into a community ritual with shared participation.
The police presence also helped frame the evening as a coordinated activity rather than an unsupervised stunt. That distinction mattered after earlier incidents involving messes and damage.
A lighthearted example of policing with the community
The evening gave State Center police a chance to show students a different side of law enforcement. Thomas said the department wanted to make clear that officers can take part in community life without making every encounter feel disciplinary.
That message was reflected in the way the students responded. Instead of seeing the officers as outsiders, they embraced them as part of the fun. The interaction suggested trust between the department and the school community, built over several years of participation.
For the police, the event served as a reminder that public safety work can also include relationship-building. In this case, toilet paper and homecoming tradition became a way to strengthen those ties while keeping the night light and familiar.
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