There’s a new face patrolling our KHS hallways, solving lost lunch money conundrums and water bottle thefts. The new officer is none other than Student Resource Officer (SRO) Gregory Burke, assigned to protect the people within KHS.
Burke graduated from St. Louis County Municipal Police & Fire Academy in 2005, where he worked for more than nine years. He then joined St. Peter’s police force where he worked for another seven years. In 2021, Burke joined the Kirkwood Police Department, active as a patrol officer until he was hired as KHS’ new SRO this past summer.
“[Being an SRO] is different from any other job I’ve done before,” Burke said. “I’ve been on patrol, dispatched to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), and part of an unmarked car proactive policing team.”
Like any other job, Burke said working as an SRO has a learning curve. The type of work required and the actual expectations of the job fluctuate, despite both jobs being considered police work. Burke said the differences between the work days of a patrol officer and an SRO are drastic
“[Prior] to becoming an SRO, I [had] to work days, nights and holidays,” Burke said. “If you have kids and work at night, there’s a lack of sleep involved, so it gets stressful.”
Even though he said his job is demanding, Burke has wanted to work in the police field since he was young. He grew up in a family of officers; both his father and his uncle served as cops.
“There [wasn’t] one time I made the [decision],” Burke said. “[Since I] grew up around all the other officers, [it] always fated to be.”
While a job as an officer requires a lot from anyone, Associate Principal Dr. Michael Gavin said Burke is up to the challenge. Gavin has worked with him a number of times to deal with lost items and drills around the school.
“He is someone who is passionate about the police, but also passionate about students,” Gavin said. “I’ve [noticed] how much detail he puts into [his job here]. Burke [has] care and concern for the kids, [and he] has been super effective.”
Burke said his biggest accomplishment on the force was the first time he used the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a machine used to restart the heart after it stops. Burke and another officer were dispatched on a medical call, arriving on the scene to find a man suffering from a heart attack.
“[When] we got there, he was unresponsive on the floor,” Burke said. “[It surprised] us when he woke up because this was the first time that either of us had used AED.”
While some might think it is excessive to have a police officer in the building at all times, Hannah Nepple, sophomore, said it’s beneficial. SROs handle any violent situations and provide both guidance and help to students.
“SROs are important because they just generally help in the school [and they are a person you can go to if you have a problem,” Nepple said. “People should be able to look to the SRO not only as a person to keep them safe but also as someone they [can] trust.”
