Oak Lawn Police Step Up Patrols At Schools After Texas School Shooting

OAK LAWN, IL — The Oak Lawn Police Department will increase its presence around the village’s public and parochial schools in response to Tuesday’s deadly school shooting in Valde, Texas.

While Oak Lawn police have always maintained a heightened presence during school drop off and pick-up times, officers be spending more time around the schools as classes wind down for the summer.

“Every day, keeping our schools safe is our highest priority,” said Div. Chief Gerald Vetter, of the Oak Lawn Police Department. “There are no threats to schools at this time.”

Following the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, Oak Lawn schools reviewed building security, particularly access doors, to see if anything more could be done to prevent a possible intruder from entering their respective buildings.

In a 2012 interview with Patch, Dist. 229 Supt. Mike Riordan revealed that 92 new cameras had been installed in doorways, hallways, parking lots, and other key areas within the school building.

Oak Lawn elementary and parochial schools are all equipped with video surveillance, and police regularly train in mock active shooter drills at schools and other locations in the village.

“We train a lot for these unknowns and situations,” Vetter said. “We pray we never have to put that training in place.

In a letter that went out Wednesday to parents at Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 schools, Supt. Paul Enderle said he was “incredibly sad and angry” over the senseless act of violence that took out 19 children and two teachers at the Texas elementary school.

“As we begin to process this tragedy, I want to reassure the District 123 learning community that we have a plan in place at each school for emergency situations,” Enderle wrote. “While there is no plan that can totally prevent a random act of senseless violence, each school has an active safety plan in place. Our safety plans have been developed in close partnership with both the Oak Lawn and Hometown Police and Fire Departments, as well as neighboring public and private schools. Our students and staff practice these procedures and emergency exercises on a regular basis.”

Enderle said staff encourage vigilance when it comes to locking all access doors, and monitoring student entrance and release points.

“All of our school buildings have video surveillance that is also shared live with the Oak Lawn Police during an actual emergency and direct access via phone system to emergency first responders,” Enderly continued. “Additionally, our local police departments will be providing a heightened presence throughout our campuses. During an event of this magnitude we must reflect upon the teachable moment and remind our students about the importance of taking school safety precautions and exercises seriously. We must continue to encourage our youth that if they ‘See something,’ they must, ‘Say something.’”

School psychologists and social workers are ready to support Dist. 123 students who may be having difficulty coping with news coverage of the Valde, Texas shooting.

Enderle also recommended an article from the National Association of School Psychologists, “Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers.”

Last fall, students at Oak Lawn Community High School, Richards High School and Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School reported receiving bomb and other threats of violence texted to their phones. The threats turned out to be sick pranks. Police charged an OLCHS student and two students from Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in November, who were referred to the juvenile justice system.

A 16-year-old Richards High School student was also arrested the same month for allegedly texting threats to the school and principal. The student was charged as a juvenile with two counts of disorderly conduct. Richards principal Mike Jacobson said he was recommending to the Dist. 218 school board that the student be expelled from school.

In December, another 16-year-old OLCHS student was arrested for the same batch of texted threats. The student was charged as a juvenile with disorderly conduct, police said. Oak Lawn police and the FBI were able to identify all five students.

Another Richards student was arrested in March when police said the student brought a gun to school, which Jacobson called “an isolated incident.” In response, school officials said they planned to increase random searches including entire classrooms, and by requiring students to open book bags or be scanned with a wand. The student was also recommended for expulsion.

Related:

• Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims
• Texas School Shooting: Gunman Killed 19 Kids, 2 Teachers In Same Class
• 'Horrific Act': GOP Candidates, Pritzker React To Texas Shooting
• Illinois Teachers Unions Respond To Texas School Shooting