It's hard to imagine a better candidate for the new position at Riverside-Brookfield High School – essentially as head of security – than Lane Niemann.

The longtime North Riverside police officer and retired police chief is about as good a fit as you could find. He knows the communities intimately, knows and has worked closely with all of the police chiefs whose communities feed into the high school, understands kids (he's been a longtime coach) and has the kind of personality that makes it easy for him to connect with students, parents and staff.

With school security and safety at the forefront in a nation where gun violence is too real a threat, Niemann will be able to help the high school craft security plans and quickly respond to situations.

Riverside police, who are tasked with responding to incidents at the high school, will have an additional layer of support with Niemann onsite daily during school hours, an important piece of the puzzle for a small department.