Hampton school resource officer honored: 'He’s not only good at his job, he loves it'

HAMPTON — Police Detective Zach Terenzoni knew of the special assembly at Hampton Academy on March 12, but it wasn’t until he walked into the auditorium that he realized it was all for him.

The New Hampshire Juvenile Police Officers Association awarded Terenzoni their first “Special Recognition Award” for his service as a school resource officer at Hampton Academy.

“When I saw the genuinely happy applause he received from everyone when he got the award, I saw he was really embraced by the students at that school,” said Milford school resource officer Richard Addonizio, a member of the board of the NHJPOA. “I knew we made the right choice.”

Terenzoni was astonished when he walked into the auditorium, he said, feeling honored by both the award and the school’s reaction.

Hampton has four "really good" school resource officers, said Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno, but he wasn’t surprised when Terenzoni earned the state-wide recognition award. NHJOPA sets the standards for law enforcement professionals who work with youth in the state and establishes yearly training programs and requirements for school resource officers.

“Zach’s extremely deserving,” Reno said. “Zach’s involved in every aspect at the school. He’s in class teaching kids about the law; he coaches baseball; he’s involved with the student council, not because he has to be, but because he wants to be.”

Added to that is what Reno calls Terenzoni’s ever-present and “contagious smile.”

“Zach’s a great cop,” Reno said. “He’s not only good at his job, he loves it. And he’s a good person.”

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Hampton Academy staff nominated Terenzoni for award

Addonizio said the NHJPOA sent out inquiries earlier this year to educators throughout the state in schools with school resource officers on staff, asking for nominations for those worthy of special recognition. For Terenzoni, two educators stepped forward: Hampton Academy physical education teacher Ellen Morrissey and SAU 90's technology director Amber Levine.

Their nomination spoke of Terenzoni’s willingness to go the extra mile to bond with the students, Addonizio said. The nominees highlighted how he joins the kids during gym classes, eats lunch with them in the cafeteria, and even chaperones them on ski weekends at Pat’s Peak and elsewhere.

After all the letters were in, Addonizio said the NHJPOA five-member board of directors sat down and reviewed all the nominations, winnowing it down to Terenzoni.

“He’s involved in all the extracurricular activities when an SRO really cements the relationship with the kids,” said Addonizio, a 13-year veteran of Milford PD, seven as a school resource officer.

According to SAU 90 Superintendent Lois Costa, the district couldn’t be more pleased that Terenzoni’s work is being recognized.

“(Zach Terenzoni) is everything we are looking for - personable, student-centered, family-friendly, and highly knowledgeable,” Costa said. “He goes above and beyond every day, connecting with students while ensuring the safety of our school.”

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Terenzoni finds calling as a school resource officer

Connecting with students and ensuring their safety is exactly how 31-year-old Terenzoni sees his role at the middle school.

“I love that age group,” Terenzoni said. “They’re very receptive. I feel we can have the biggest influence in the middle school.”

Terenzoni said part of what he enjoys is spending time with the students outside of school, chaperoning them during ski and field trips to Quebec and Washington, D.C., annual excursions coming up this spring.

“I don’t wear my uniform when I go on the trips,” Terenzoni said. “That shows I’m a normal guy, not just a badge and a gun. Our main job (as school resource officers) is safety, but we can have a big impact with kids, like helping with their interactions with adults.”

Growing up nearby in Peabody, Massachusetts, Terenzoni said he envisioned a career in law enforcement, although initially, he saw himself working on a federal level. He began at the Brinks security firm, then applied for an opening at Hampton PD for a part-time slot. He became full-time five years ago, believing it was a step toward federal law enforcement.

But that all changed a few years ago when he signed up for a three-year stint as a school resource officer and found his calling. He’s already spoken with Reno about remaining where he is at Hampton Academy, he said, instead of transferring to another role in Hampton PD.

“I love my job,” he said. “I love everything about the school. I think it’s a great fit for me.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton school resource officer Zach Terenzoni wins top award