Villa Park Police Detective Ernesto "Ernie" Perez put on a hairnet and grabbed a serving spoon on Tuesday, Oct. 6, stepping behind the cafeteria counter at Willowbrook High School to serve student lunches.
Perez, who has served as Willowbrook's school resource officer (SRO) since 2023, helped dish out meals during the school's fifth and sixth lunch periods. DuPage High School District 88 said Perez jumped at the chance to interact with the school community in a different setting.
"I want to continue to build and improve the relationship and communication between the police department, students and families," Perez said. "My goal is to bridge that gap and show the police department wants to be part of the community."
The Village of Villa Park thanked Perez on its official social media account Wednesday, Oct. 7, noting he connected with both students and staff during the lunch service.
A detective with the Villa Park Police Department since 2017, Perez is a nine-year U.S. Army veteran who toured Iraq as a combat soldier. Before joining Villa Park, he worked at the Stone Park Police Department and the Forest Preserves of Cook County. He speaks English, Spanish and Italian.
The lunch service is one of several ways Perez has engaged the Willowbrook community this fall. On Aug. 25, he delivered a "Me, Myself, and I" speech to students enrolled in a public speaking and communication technology dual-credit course. The presentation let him model the skills the class teaches while connecting with students outside his usual law enforcement role.
On Sept. 9, Perez spoke at a Padres Unidos meeting at Willowbrook. The program offers Spanish-speaking parents and guardians informal discussions and presentations in Spanish on topics covered in other parent programs at the school.
Perez succeeded Donald Giammarino, who held the SRO post starting in 2018. When Perez took the role in 2023, Willowbrook Principal Daniel Krause said the SRO position helps the school meet its top priority of maintaining a safe learning environment.
Perez also helps coordinate Law Enforcement Exploring, a program for students interested in careers in criminal justice. Willowbrook, part of District 88, enrolls 1,983 students at 1250 S. Ardmore Ave. in Villa Park.
