Put Joliet Police At Every School, O'Dekirk Suggests

JOLIET, IL - In recent months, teenage gunmen have carried out horrific acts of atrocity, slaughtering multiple students in Parkland, Florida and Santa Fe, Texas. Closer to home, Dixon, Illinois School Resource Officer Mark Dallas averted a massive shooting on May 16 when he wounded former student Matthew Milby. The 19-year-old showed up at the Dixon graduation rehearsal armed with a gun and began firing at a physical education teacher, according to widespread news coverage.

The flurry of school shootings, both around the country and here in Illinois, has captured the attention of Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk.

Now that school is out for the summer, the time is right to explore whether it's practical to put a Joliet Police officer at every school in the city, O'Dekirk suggested this week at the city council meeting.

The mayor asked his police chief, Brian Benton, to research the feasibility, including the parochial schools. The police department has an arrangement with Joliet Township High School District 204 that involves officers assigned to Joliet West and Joliet Central, the mayor noted.

Last fall, Benton and District 204 officials were praised by City Hall for doing a fantastic job in responding to a purported active shooter situation outside Joliet Central. That morning, several Joliet officers descended upon the downtown school; detectives ultimately determined that 911 calls claiming there was a gunman lurking around the campus were a complete hoax.

Later that day, a couple of teenagers were busted for making the entire stunt up.

RELATED STORY: Joliet Police Detain Two For Gunman Hoax

From the mayor's perspective, having Joliet officers regularly assigned to grade schools, junior high school buildings as well as Joliet Catholic Academy, makes logical sense in today's world.

On Tuesday night, the mayor asked Chief Benton to report back to the City Council with his findings in the near future.

"I want to start the conversation. If we don't start the conversation now, we'll never get there," O'Dekirk told Joliet Patch on Thursday.

One of the questions that will need to be addressed concerns cost, the mayor said. O'Dekirk also said he's reluctant to put an officer into a school where the school's administration is dead set against the idea.

"I think the cost of it, obviously, is an issue ( to research further)," O'Dekirk explained.

O'Dekirk said it would be foolish for Joliet's politicians and school officials to assume Joliet will never, ever, encounter a deadly school shooting.

He believes this topic should become a key issue for the city council to explore and provide feedback, during this summer.

The number of school shootings happening across the country is downright scary, the mayor pointed out, adding that, "it's almost becoming trendy."

"I would like for us to be proactive rather than wait for something bad to happen and then respond," O'Dekirk said. "My attitude is, let's see what we can be accomplish."

RELATED COVERAGE: Florida School Shooting: Sheriff Says 17 Dead

RELATED COVERAGE: Texas School Shooting: Family Of Accused Gunman Stunned

RELATED COVERAGE: Rifle Used In Dixon Shooting Bought By Teen's Mom

Images via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor