LZHS’s Student Resource Officer (SRO), Detective Mike Parlberg, is leaving at the end of the current school year. He is leaving because of the school’s rotation policy for the SRO position.

“Basically, I’m here to be a resource to the kids, to enforce criminal law as necessary, to ensure or maintain safety, personal safety, and to protect property to the best of my ability,” said Parlberg, who has been working at LZHS for a total of nine years and has been working with the Lake Zurich Police Department for 20 years.

Parlberg said he has enjoyed the experience of working at the school and has had a lot of fun during his time here at LZHS. Parlberg says the best part about the job for him was working with the students. He has served as the SRO at the  high school for nine years over two rotations during his career.

Deans Chad Beaver and Melissa Pikul said they are sad to see Parlberg go. They believe he understands the students and has a great philosophy for dealing with life in the high school.

“His knowledge base of how to handle situations and how to process and manage conflict as it comes up and problem solve is good,” Beaver said.

Students agree and these who know him are disappointed to see him leave.

“He likes to joke around with a lot of people and he is willing to help,” said senior Joseph Johnson, a dean runner that has worked with Parlberg.

Every four years, the rotation changes and a new SRO is brought into the school. The next SRO will be Mark Frey, who seems to have a “genuine interest in working with the teenage population,” Pikul said.