Mike Niego is a man of many passions, such as golfing, photography, and the Yankees. But according to his wife, Mrs.Terri Niego, beneath all these hobbies lies his true passion.

“Vacuuming. He vacuums every day,” she joked.

Although Pascack Valley’s Security Officers Mike Niego and Chip Stalter are suited up in uniforms and bulletproof vests, the former PV students share both smiles and funny stories.

According to Mike, he and Stalter received a request before the Sandy Hook shooting, back in 2012, to work at PV after school hours.

They did not respond to this request until after the Sandy Hook shooting when they were asked to work during school hours as well.

Both Officers were thinking of retirement but the hours they were asked to work at PV were favorable over the ones they were currently working, so they decided to take the job offer.

Both officers encourage students to stop by at any time and talk to them.

“I enjoy interacting with the students,” Stalter said. “I’m happy to come here and work with the students, the staff, and combat any issues.”

They both have years of experience in the field of Law Enforcement.

Stalter served as a Hillsdale police officer for 30 years and retired as the Police Chief, the latter of which he served for eight years. Working alongside Stalter, Mike also served as a Hillsdale Police Officer for 27 years.

With 65 security cameras that monitor the school daily, Stalter and Mike are able to watch out for suspicious activity during the school day. They oversee everything from directing traffic to checking locked doors during lockdown drills.

“When we aren’t monitoring the cameras, one of us is always sitting in the front [of the school] while the other walks around, checks the doors, and makes sure everything is good,” Mike said.

Sometimes, says Stalter, he and Mike investigate incidents, such as suspiciously-placed backpacks that are reported by teachers and students.

As of January, the officers have been armed with guns which Stalter compares to as precautionary as a fire extinguisher.

“It’s not that Pascack Valley is a dangerous place, but I say the guns are like a fire extinguisher: we have a lot of fire extinguishers here, do we have fires? No, but just in case [of a fire] we have [fire extinguishers] to put them out. And so, we have guns to provide that little extra bit of security. It’s just another tool to keep us safe,” Salter said.

Chip Stalter

Mrs. Carol Stalter, Officer Chip Stalter’s wife and Director of Hillsdale United Nursery School, explains what he is like at home.

“Mr. [Chip] Stalter supports each of our children, and myself, in all our aspirations. He is a wonderful father,” she said. “He is a kind, warm, intelligent man with a great sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and a deep loyalty to family.”

As a past time Chip loves going fishing up in Maine with his family and friends.

Carol shares the story of how her and Chip met.

Mike Niego

Terri explained Mike’s life outside of his job at PV.

“Mike is a kind and generous person,” Terri said. “He has dedicated most of his life as a police officer and a fireman. He is a great son to his mom, who is 93, and a wonderful dad and papa to his three children and two grandchildren.”

When Mike is not working he stays up to date on sporting events. He likes to golf and is a fan of the New York Yankees.

His love for sports motivated him to take hundreds of football and baseball action pictures of his son who graduated PV in 2012. He presented these pictures to the players, their families, and the team coaches.

Some of Mike’s pictures are now posted around the walls of PV.