Eileen Flynn, Reporter
@eileen_courant
Officer Geoffrey Lambert, NCHS’s new Student Resources Officer (SRO), has been working his whole career to be an authority figure and a resource to people of all ages. Tasked with maintaining student safety and security, he is ready to make a positive impact of the school community.
When the previous SRO, Sergeant Jason Kim, was promoted to a position that oversees the police officers at NCHS, the administration office began to look for a replacement from the New Canaan Police Department. “Officer Lambert stood out because of his experience and confidence,” Assistant Principal Larry Sullivan said. “He’s very good-natured and kind, which showed us that he would be a great fit for the job.”
Officer Lambert’s specific role as SRO is to provide an extra level of security, interact with the student body on a daily basis, and be a bridge between the NCPD and the NCHS administration. Mr. Sullivan was in charge of the hiring of Officer Lambert, and believes that he is valuable in many different ways. “An SRO can
Photo by Emma Reilly
help when trouble occurs, but is just as valuable in intervening early to prevent things from reaching a crisis,” he said. “Their role is to work with students and families when they encounter legal issues. Of course, they are also instrumental in ensuring NCHS remains a safe place for all of us.”
Before joining the police force, Officer Lambert served in the Marine Corps, which he believes shaped him into the person that he is today. “My experience in the Marine Corps was a big influence on my whole life,” he said. “It taught me self-discipline and teamwork. I was not the best student when I was leaving high school, and the Marine Corps helped me to grow up and mature.”
Officer Lambert applied for the job of the SRO because he could utilize his experience to improve NCHS. “I had many jobs over at the NCPD, one of which was a car seat technician, where I installed a lot of car seats for people,” he said. “A lot of times, the way that you interact with police officers are negative, and I wanted to interact with the community positively.”
Officer Lambert thinks that his experience raising high school-aged children gives him unique perspective and increased ability to make beneficial changes. “I really want to be more proactive in dealing with underage drinking at the sporting events,” he said. “As far as other things, I want to be a resource for kids to go to. I want to be approachable, and I want kids to be able to ask me anything.”
Sophomore and founder of the NCHS Bee Club, Dave Kelly, has noticed that Officer Lambert has definitely been approachable. Officer Lambert has engaged with the student body and as a result, has become extremely involved with the Bee Club. “He’s an awesome guy. In general, I find him very kind and easy to talk
Photo by Emma Reilly
to,” Dave Kelly said. “I always see him around, and he’s always really enthusiastic, genuine, and seems like he’s ready to make an impact on the school.”
Aside from being a Police Officer, Officer Lambert is also the NCHS Varsity Baseball Coach. He used to be the baseball coach three years ago, and led the team to their victory at the State Championships. At the time, he left the job to be able to spend more time with his children, but now, after their graduations, he is back and ready to be involved with the school community with and beyond athletes. “I think that it’s good that the team will see me every day in school, as well as on the field,” he said. “It’s really going to have us all involved and united as a community as well as a team.”
With his ties to the NCHS community, his experiences, and his unique perspective, Officer Lambert is proving to be a valuable asset to NCHS. He is ready to unite and work together to make NCHS the safest and most comfortable community that it can be. “I just do the best that I can. Whatever job I have, I sink my teeth into it,” he said. “It’s a personal pride thing. I want to make sure that I do the best I can for myself and for the people that I am trying to help.”
