It’s still dark outside when Officer Steve Suranovich pulls up to Moss Side Middle School.
He arrives before most teachers and students, passing the visitor check-in machine, bagged lunch in hand.
The empty hallways are as hushed as they will be all day, but buses will arrive within the half-hour.
Officer Suranovich stops by his office before making the first of several rounds of security checks during his 7-hour shift. Posters espousing good choices and warning of the dangers of bullying adorn the room, across the hall from the principal’s office.
In school, just like the real world, one reads, you have freedom of choice, but no freedom of consequence.
If everything goes right, Officer Suranovich sees his role as a less a disciplinarian and more of a bridge-builder with students, a friendly face to keep the school safe and create positive relationships with youngsters and their parents in the fifth- and sixth-grade school.
For many of them, he knows he will likely be their first interaction with law enforcement.
“I try to develop a rapport with the students, get to know them on a first-name basis,” said Officer Suranovich, better known as “Officer Steve” at Moss Side. “You try to make them feel comfortable coming up and approaching you, just talking about everyday life.”
He is one of the Gateway School District’s 15 armed school resource officers. Just over a year ago, the district got court approval for its security team to carry guns and issue citations on school property. At the time, critics maintained that guns on campus pose a risk to students and staff. But district officials contend that armed security staff — all of whom are current or former law enforcement officers — make schools safer.
The district has at least one armed officer stationed at each of the district’s seven schools. And their experience spans all levels of law enforcement, with senior members boasting more than two decades in the field, said Bryan Key, director of the Gateway School District Police Department.
“We didn’t walk into an environment where they had their staff,” said Mr. Key, a retired Pennsylvania State Police sergeant. “We picked our staff, which is really unique.”
He said he looks for patient, experienced officers with an even-keeled temperament, suited for working with children and adolescents. “You can’t be stressed about little things,” he said.
Officer Suranovich, he said, fits that description.
As the buses arrived and students rushed through the doors Thursday morning, Officer Suranovich positioned himself in the middle of a hallway, to account for students entering from multiple directions. He smiled and divvied high-fives to groggy students.
“G’morning, Luke,” he told one student.
“How you doing, bud?” he asked another.
During the workday, Officer Suranovich wears all the accoutrements a patrol officer would on the streets: a gun, extra magazines, utility flashlight, radio, baton, handcuffs and a tourniquet. The latter item has become a popular tool for officers to carry to stop bleeding, he said.
The officers receive regular law enforcement training, including active shooter drills, Mr. Suranovich said. And when school tragedies happen, like last month’s shooting in Parkland, Fla., he said it underscores the importance of his job.
“It’s always in the back of your head, because our business is safety, and making sure everyone can go about their day safely,” he said. “It’s important. That’s why having the experienced officers that we do helps.”
Students pepper him with questions during active shooter drills. They ask where they could find safety and what to do in certain situations.
Officer Suranovich’s job: “Just making kids at ease,” he said.
Gateway Superintendent William Short said districts throughout Pennsylvania have contacted him to see how the district implemented the program. He said community members have also expressed support, especially after recent school shootings in Florida and Maryland.
“We felt like we needed to ensure that we had someone in there to protect our students,” he said. “And in our opinion, this goes above any metal detector, or security device.”
They need a protector at the door, he said.
Matt McKinney: mmckinney@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1944, or on Twitter @mmckinne17
First Published: March 22, 2018, 10:52 p.m.