Police officer a ‘perfect fit’ as South Fayette’s school resource officer

South Fayette police Sgt. Jeff Sgro said he’s fortunate for his nearly 25-year career as a police officer.
While he’s enjoyed the last 19 or so years as a police officer, he said the last four years as the school resource officer for the South Fayette School District have been “the best of my career.”
“I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face,” Sgro said. “Some people moan that they have to go to work, but I’m willing and ready. I want to be here.”
During a Pennsylvania Chapter Students Against Destructive Decisions Conference in November, Sgro saw during a presentation that the Pennsylvania Association of School Resource Officers would be awarding an SRO for the first time in its history. Sgro was originally confused, considering he is the president of PASRO and he knew nothing about the award.
Then, it was announced that he was named the 2017 PA SRO of the Year.

Photo courtesy of South Fayette School District
Photo courtesy of South Fayette School District
Sgt. Jeff Sgro
“It is the first award that they’ve presented to an SRO for School Resource Officer of the Year,” Sgro said. “It was very unexpected. It was a very nice recognition.”
As the SRO for all four South Fayette schools, Sgro said there is no such thing as an “average day.”
His tasks include controlling traffic in the morning and after school ends, doing walk-throughs of the buildings, working with students and teachers on projects or clubs, conversing with parents and collaborating with district administrators. Overall, his job comes down to two main duties.
“First and foremost, my job is to provide security and safety for my students, the staff and anyone that’s on my campus,” Sgro said.
The second duty – and the one Sgro spends most of his time fulfilling – is “bridging the gap” between the police and students.
“That’s a priority to me, bridging that gap. It’s taken me a little bit of time. They not only give me the respect that I deserve as a policeman, but they see me as just a guy – a guy that gets involved, likes to help out and isn’t afraid to hold a boom mic if that’s what it takes to get the job done. It is part of that bridging the gap and breaking down the barriers that police are out there just to jam you up. That is the stigma we’re trying to eliminate.”
South Fayette police Chief John Phoennik said being an SRO is about “building relationships and knocking down barriers.” Not every officer would excel as an SRO, but Phoennik said the job is a “perfect” for Sgro.
“Not every policeman has the personality to be in the school and deal with kids,” Phoennik said. “You have to be well-rounded. You have to understand kids. You have to understand where they’re coming from. You have to also be able to deal with their parents and the staff up there. He’s well-rounded to do it. His personality leads him to do it.”
When Sgro first started as the SRO at the end of the 2013-14 school year, it wasn’t easy.
“Probably one of the first things I learned is that when you go into the school with a uniform, people start to look at you funny,” Sgro said. “They don’t know what to think of you at first, and it takes a person that has a good personality and a good demeanor to come in and make people comfortable with there being a police officer in the school.”
After a few weeks, though, Sgro realized this would be a “career-changing experience.”
“I think I’m getting the better end of this stick,” Sgro said. “I learn a lot from these kids, and I hope I teach them lessons, too. But more than anything, working with them is a great aspect of my job. This is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”