Piscataway High School’s new School Resource Officer, Detective Elk Peterkin, comes to PHS carrying his years of experience with him. Having served as an officer in multiple counties, like Middlesex County and East Orange, Detective Peterkin introduces his diverse background in “the street crimes unit and special victims unit.” And it’s actually not his first rodeo – Detective Peterkin served as an SRO in East Orange, paying a revisit to “his former school.”
A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a law enforcement officer that is assigned to work in schools, trained to handle security concerns and build trust with students and faculty in hopes to strengthen the relationship between schools and police. SROs often serve both as officers and mentors, due to their previous experiences. Detective Peterkin shared his dedication for “building trust with students” and keeping students “safe,” referring to his responsibilities in handling things like “cyber bullying and harassment in schools” as well as “drug safety.”
Detective Peterkin’s favorite way to create a helpful atmosphere is to “make sure to greet all of the security guards every morning.” Additionally, he wants to enhance his “presence” with students, making them comfortable enough to reach out to him. He emphasizes his willingness in offering aid in both “academic and personal challenges.” Detective Peterkin aims to promote a “healthy and safe environment for learning.”
Lastly, Detective Peterkin strongly debunks the “stale donuts and coffee” stereotype. Instead, he offers the usual Piscataway Police station’s alternative of “protein bars” and resists assimilating to the heavy coffee consumption habits. Along with his work as our SRO, he “handles cases unrelated to PHS” and uses the best of his crime fighting abilities.
You can find the SRO at his office in Patton Main, or you can follow him around like we did several times for this interview if you ever want to say hi and talk.
