Peters Township Police Department Earns National Recognition for School Safety Excellence

The police department’s School Resource Officer program has been recognized with the prestigious 2026 NASRO Model Agency Award—honoring its exceptional commitment to school safety, education and mentoring.

When students walk through the doors of Peters Township schools each morning, they are greeted by more than police officers. They are welcomed by mentors, educators, counselors and guardians—an approach that has now earned the Peters Township Police Department one of the highest honors in school policing.

The department recently received the 2026 National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Model Agency Award—a distinction presented to agencies that exemplify the nationally recognized School Resource Officer (SRO) Triad Model. Out of approximately 12,000 law enforcement agencies across North America that participate in school policing, only a select few receive the award each year.

“The winning of this award is a cumulative effort involving the police department, township administration, Peters Township School District and Intermediate Unit One,” says Captain Judd Emery. “Most significantly, this award is a testament to the attitude and dedication of each individual SRO. Without their unwavering commitment to school safety and education, this would not be possible.”

The award recognizes agencies that successfully implement NASRO’s Triad Model, which requires school resource officers to serve in three distinct roles: law enforcement officer, public safety educator and informal counselor/mentor.

While school safety remains their primary responsibility, Peters Township’s SROs are deeply involved in educating students throughout the school year. Officers teach D.A.R.E., self-defense, driver education, internet safety, school threat response and other public safety topics. The department is also partnering with the Peters Township School District to launch a new public safety course for high school students during the 2026–27 school year.

Beyond the classroom, the department says its officers strive to build lasting relationships with students, creating an environment where young people feel comfortable seeking advice or assistance.

“The SROs take the role of ‘guardian’ to heart and mentor the students as if they were their own children,” says Emery. “SROs build strong bonds with the students and create a safe environment for them to approach an SRO for help or guidance.”

That philosophy has helped distinguish Peters Township’s program nationally. Emery credits the close collaboration between township leadership, police administration and school district officials for creating one of the country’s most highly trained and well-equipped School Resource Officer programs.

Although only one representative was permitted on stage to receive the award, all seven members of the SRO unit attended the NASRO National School Safety Conference, where they participated in specialized training covering topics such as school liability, threat and suicide assessments, artificial intelligence and digital threats, child exploitation, online victimization, social media safety, and stronger collaboration between schools and law enforcement.

The department views continuing education as essential, since the challenges facing today’s students continue to evolve.

“Our SROs do a phenomenal job—that being said, there is always room for improvement,” says Emery. “We will continue to train our officers to meet the ever-changing trends in school safety, specifically internet safety.”

As technology continues to shape students’ lives, the department expects education and relationship-building to remain at the forefront of its mission.

“By continuing to build positive relationships with students, our education efforts become easier,” says Emery. “Educating students is a main goal of the SRO unit. With education, our officers hope to prevent future issues or infractions.”

While the national recognition celebrates years of dedication, Peters Township officials see it as motivation to continue strengthening school safety, investing in training, and ensuring that students have trusted adults they can rely on every day.

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  Officers M. Malloy, P. Mazzotta, J. Hughes, C. Allard, Sgt. S. Scott, M. Jarzynka, and R. Smolinski.

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