Crime & Safety
SCHOOL SAFETY and TRAINING
I sent this letter in June of 2022 after the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, TX. I received no reply -
Chief Thomas Q. Weitzel (ret.), M.S., C.P.C.
June 11, 2022
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The Honorable J.B. Pritzker, Governor
Office of the Governor
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207 Statehouse
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Re: SCHOOL SAFETY and TRAINING
Dear Governor Pritzker:
As the nation mourns with the families of the Uvalde, Texas, massacre at Robb Elementary School, I respectfully request a School Safety and Training Chief.
I would like this individual to be appointed at the cabinet level as soon as possible to serve in this capacity in every school district in the State of Illinois.
We must act at once to foster and equip all public and private Illinois schools with extra school resource officers, training, and support to provide a safe environment for students, staff, and others on school property.
Could you please fund the position for administrative functions? You could easily find someone to serve in this capacity willing to volunteer their time due to their expertise in serving in a similar capacity in their professional career. In any case, a cabinet-level position is needed right now!
While I had seen agencies work together earnestly over the years, when I was Police Chief in Riverside, we needed one contact point to coordinate all efforts now and onward and improve services to all Illinois school districts.
Given that this would be a critical part of your cabinet, this School Safety and Security Chief should report directly to your office and the legislators.
Time is of the essence, so please, I implore you to consider my request immediately.
Also, thank you for the hard work you have already done in this field. If I can further assist you or your staff, please get in touch with me anytime.
I will give my expertise, time, and energy to help with this implementation. I am looking for no financial gain from this situation - just the safety of our Illinois schools and children.
Respectfully,
Tom Weitzel
Chief Thomas Weitzel (Retired)
Riverside, IL Police Department
C: State Representative Michael Zalewski, 23rd District (D) Riverside
Ed Wojcicki, ILACP Executive Director
Chief Lou Jogmen, President, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and Police Chief Highland Park
Matthew Buckley, Public Safety Director, Riverside
