Schools
Second School Resource Officer Assigned to Manage Traffic at Richards High School
New Agreement Approved Between Community High School District 218, Village of Oak Lawn
Richards High School has added a second School Resource Officer (SRO) to help manage traffic during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.
Officer Mike Conroy, a 26-year veteran of the Oak Lawn Police Department, began working in Community High School District 218 (CHSD 218) on Jan. 20. His appointment follows the Board of Education’s Dec. 18 approval of an agreement with the Village of Oak Lawn to provide additional SRO services to the school community.
The agreement is funded through the district’s existing Operations and Maintenance Fund and Tort Fund. It took effect on Jan. 1 and will be automatically renewed for the 2026-27 school year unless either party files a written notice of intent to terminate.
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“Safe passage to school for our students is a priority," said Richards High School Principal Dr. MaLinda Majoch. "We are grateful to have this agreement with the Village of Oak Lawn. The addition of another SRO really benefits our entire school community.”
Officer Conroy joins Officer Brian Black, who has been working as Richards’ School Resource Officer since 2022. Both SROs are employed by the Oak Lawn Police Department but provide safety-related services such as traffic control around Richards High School. Richards has had an SRO since 1991.
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The addition of a second school resource officer comes after a May 15, 2025, school board meeting in which board members discussed safety concerns at the crosswalk on Central Avenue and 107th Street. School Board President Carol Kats said she drives past Richards every day on her way to work.
“There’s only one light for [students] to cross, and they just dash across the street,” Kats said. “It’s very hectic at that time in the morning because there are other schools that are arriving.
“I think [adding a second school resource officer is] a great thing,” Kats continued. “We’ve been really concerned about that situation for all the time I’ve been on the board.”
According to the agreement, SROs will provide services when school is in session and at other scheduled special events. Services will not be required on dates when school is not in session, such as holidays and school breaks.
