District 155 Makes Security a Top Priority

Security and safety in Crystal Lake high schools is a top priority, and one that is an important component of Community High School District 155. 

, and high schools are assigned one school resource officer by the . Their primary mission is to provide security and safety for students, faculty and staff. 

School Resources Officers are trained to handle situations specific to the school environment while acting as a liaison between law enforcement, school personnel and students.  

Deputy Police Chief Eugene Lowery said school resource officers have made arrests for crimes committed in the schools. 

“Any type of criminal violation could be present there — possession of drugs, stolen property, issues of contraband, possession of unauthorized materials in the schools,” Lowery said. “There could be anything there.” 

Just as important as enforcing the law and ensuring safety on the three campuses, SROs serve as a liaison between law enforcement and school personnel and students. 

In a school setting, the SROs may encounter opportunities to mentor and educate youth during a stage in their lives when they are about to embark on their lives of independence or go off to college. 

SROs are also involved in after-school activities such as sporting events, trading in their civilian attire worn during the school day into uniforms to be part of the contingent at football games and other activities, Lowery said. 

He added that the interaction between students and law enforcement is positive, giving young people the opportunity to see police officers in settings other than issuing traffic citations and parking tickets. 

So far, the need for SROs hasn’t come up for grade and middle schools in Crystal Lake, Lowery said. 

“If that need ever arose, we’d be more than willing to review and address that with the school district,” he said. 

Central and South high schools partnered with police in the 1994-1995 school year, followed by Prairie Ridge in 1998 when building was completed. 

Crystal Lake had noticed a trend in some parts of the country of partnering school districts with law enforcement and decided it was a good idea, said Police Cmdr. Mike Brichetto. 

SROs undergo a 40-hour basic school resource officer training program usually through North East Multi Regional Training, followed by additional training as it becomes available, Brichetto said. 

“That just kind of builds the environment as to what they're going to deal with on a daily basis and how to liaison between the law enforcement aspect and the school district’s policies,” he said. 

District Communications Director Jeff Puma credits the presence of police in the schools for building relationships within the school community which helps avert issues. 

He added the police department has been a great partner in Parent University for the past three years; presenting sessions on laws impacting students and parents related to driving, alcohol, and drugs and curfew. 

“The Crystal Lake Police Department and student resource officer involvement in Parent University has brought an authoritative voice to the sessions and helped our parents keep their children safe,” he said. 

Last year the police department presented a session on suicide awareness to help parents identify at-risk behavior in teens. 

Another program police have contributed to was Operation Click, which teaches students awareness of safety issues behind the wheel. 

For at least the past 10 years, the district has worked with Diamond Security to provide a security guard at each of the three high schools to monitor front door control access and parking lot patrols, Puma said.