The familiar face of police officer Kurt Gurley has joined the staff of Chapel Hill High School, replacing Gary Beneville, who retired last month. After working as a school resource officer (SRO) at Smith Middle School, Gurley will spend his final three years here before his own retirement.
Gurley has been a police officer for over 25 years, having begun his career in 1995. He realized his childhood spent watching police shows on television, paired with his desire to help people, made law enforcement an ideal profession for him.
“I had always grown up in a service minded family, and the church was very important to us,” Gurley said.
With his father in the Marine Corps and his brother growing a school principal, the High Point native always pictured himself working in a position where he would be able to help others.
Before starting as the SRO officer, Gurley served seven years on patrol duty in Chapel Hill. Although he never envisioned becoming a school officer, when the position became available 14 years ago, Gurley said the idea of being around students and serving as a mentor and role model appealed to him.
Gurley said he has already established positive relationships with students, but his first priority is student safety.
“Violence is everywhere nowadays. My job is to prevent that as much as I can on campus,” he said.
Students who attended Smith Middle School likely recognize a familiar face in Gurley. Junior Lani Milla said Gurley is a friendly and comforting addition to the school’s staff.
“He has always had a very positive attitude and will say hello in the hallways,” Milla said.
Gurley said he recognizes about 70 percent of the students walking around campus and has enjoyed seeing how students have changed over the years.
During the summer, Gurley spends his time doing other police work off campus, including patrolling Franklin Street, where he often encounters familiar faces of students.
Outside of work, Gurley finds joy surrounding himself with family and challenging himself physically: he has successfully completed eight marathons, including the New York City Marathon and the Skagen Marathon in Denmark.
