‘He’s always helping others:’ Students land Schaumburg HS resource officer big award
Part of the role of a school resource officer is to serve as a liaison between the school and the local police department.
At Schaumburg High School, Detective Elmer Guzman went beyond.
He worked hard to build a strong bond between police and the students. For that, he received recognition from the Youth Advisory Councils of Communities for Positive Youth Development Coalition. His nominators were several of the grateful students at Schaumburg High School.
“This award is special because I was selected for it by students who are a part of our school and members of the community,” Guzman said.
Schaumburg sophomore Alex Vences said he nominated Guzman because “he is always helping others, serving our school, protecting us, and being kind to us.”
Guzman, who has been with the Schaumburg Police Department for seven years, also serves as a firearms instructor and as a member of the Honor Guard. He chose law enforcement as a career because wanted to make a change in the world while serving as a role model for others.
At Schaumburg, he’s known for the connections he’s built with students across the board. Among other things, he would often come up with unique challenges — some of which include games of one-on-one basketball — to motivate students toward positive behavior.
Communities for Positive Youth Development is a community coalition located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. It operates from a comprehensive strategic plan to coordinate prevention, intervention, and recovery support services across youth and the community as a whole.
The Youth Advisory Council membership is made up of high school students who live or attend school in the community and are inspired to take a leadership role in creating positive development.
Guzman said he hoped the award is the starting point of building a strong relationship between the students of Schaumburg High School and the Schaumburg Police Department.
This month, Guzman was promoted within the department and stepped down as school resource officer, but has voiced hope for the role to continue to build on the current momentum, with students working alongside the resources officer to “work hard and spread positivity.”
Schaumburg Police Detective Daniel Flores is Schaumburg’s new Resource Officer.