MHS welcomes new school resource officer
Submitted by Mundelein High School District 120
Officer Stephen Balogh of the Mundelein Police Department will join the Mundelein High School staff as School Resource Officer when school opens Aug. 14. Balogh will succeed officer Sarah Wirth who has a new assignment with the MPD.
Originally from Palatine, Balogh earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and began a career as an elementary schoolteacher. After several years of teaching in Illinois and Arizona, Balogh decided he would prefer getting involved with the community on a larger scale so he changed his career direction to law enforcement. He served for three years with the Avondale Police Department near Phoenix, Arizona, before joining the Mundelein Police Department.
"I am proud to be part of the Mundelein PD where the values parallel my own beliefs about community policing and serving with courage, pride and commitment," Balogh said. "I am excited about working with the MHS staff and look forward to developing relationships with the students and their families and continuing the positive and safe environment that the high school enjoys," he said.
Mundelein Police Sgt. Brian Kisselburg, a previous SRO at MHS, supports the importance of the position in schools.
"An important advantage of having an SRO is that it fosters a positive relationship between the officer and the students, along with their parents," he said. "(Working in the high school) gave me a better understanding of teenagers' thought processes and the realization that many times their decisions are a result of their environmental influences."
"We welcome officer Balogh and look forward to working with him," MHS Assistant Principal Anthony Crespo said. "We are fortunate to have an officer in the building at all times and enjoy an excellent working relationship with the Mundelein PD. "
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