By Morgan Humphrey, SHS Student Writer
There is a new face roaming the halls at Salem Schools this semester. Gary Pennington was hired to be a Safety Resource Officer at the schools starting in January.
With more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, and a Salem High School graduate, the school staff is excited to have him join the team. Pennington will be at all three schools.
“We are a teacher, mentor, and at the very bottom, law enforcement,” said Pennington, explaining that SRO’s don’t get involved in disciplinary issues unless there is a criminal violation. They are there to help students if they are having issues at home or school.
“As an SRO, we want to show students we are just like you, and we aren’t any different,” he said.
Pennington brings a lot of experience to his role as an SRO. He is a retired conservation officer, then he was the town marshall of Borden, and he also did security at the Washington County Sheriff's Department.
When asked why he wanted to become an SRO, Pennington said, “It is a different way to do law enforcement. I was ready for a change and I would rather talk to students, to steer them in the right direction.”
Pennington has exceptional qualifications for the job of an SRO, with his experience in that role at Borden and East Washington schools.
“I have had a lot of experience dealing with the public and young adults,” he said.
Pennington joins SRO Ronnie Mays to have more of a presence in all three buildings on Salem’s school campus.