They are familiar faces on public school campuses throughout Beaufort County, but many citizens do not understand the important roles school resource officers play in the education of the area’s children.

“Safety is first and foremost; it’s our No. 1 concern,” said Sgt. Walt Zerniak of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. “Kids can’t learn if they don’t have a safe environment.”

Zerniak has served as SRO supervisor for six years and he is a law enforcement veteran of more than 18 years. He maintains an office at Washington High School but travels as the need arises, including visits to Eastern Elementary, John Cotten Tayloe and John Small schools.

Joining him as school resource officers are Cpl. Darin Hall, Northside High School; Deputy Timothy Hickman, Northeast Elementary and Bath Elementary; Deputy Treasure Goddard, S.W. Snowden, Chocowinity Primary and Chocowinity Middle schools; Deputy Michael Gerard, Southside High School; Deputy Javier Meza, Washington High School; Deputy Robert Voliva, P.S. Jones Middle School; and Deputy Benjamin Correa, Beaufort County Ed Tech Center.

“Our policy is basically to provide law enforcement services to schools, which includes protection of life and property, investigating crimes and responding to calls,” Zerniak said. “Those are the same things that a patrol duty officer does. In fact, any school resource officer in Beaufort County has to have at least two years’ experience as a patrol deputy before taking on SRO responsibilities. Every SRO has to undergo specialized training and receive their certification.”

The role of a school resource officer also includes counseling students and staff on an informal basis, serving as a liaison and being an important part of public relations between the sheriff’s office, schools and the community. There are close to 100 years of law enforcement experience racked up between the eight officers currently serving the schools.

“We work very closely with the schools’ administrators, which is part of the success for the school and for us,” Zerniak said. “We often confer with principals to formulate plans for different situations.”

A successful school resource officer must meet certain criteria, as outlined by the sheriff’s office. For starters, they are expected to set a good example and possess good communication skills. An even temperament is the key to success.

But the role of school resource officers is often misunderstood by the general public.

“We do provide a sense of security for students and staff, but we are not security officers,” Zerniak noted. “We are not disciplinarians; we do not suspend people.”

Parental involvement is key to a student’s success in school, according to Zerniak.

“We’re really big in keeping parents in the loop on everything,” he said. “I’d like the parents and the students to know we’re not the advisory; we just want to make sure a school is a safe environment. We treat those kids the way we want our own kids to be treated.”

In keeping with the safety theme, there are provisions in place that strengthen deputies’ roles on a school campus.

“The biggest thing that people don’t realize is our authority to search and seize is expanded on a school campus,” Zerniak said. “When we have a situation, we try to balance out what’s best for the interest of the students, the school and the residents of Beaufort County.”