Courtesy Riverside Police Department
Riverside Police Sgt. Leo Kotor and Riverside-Brookfield High School Assistant Principal John Passarella attended a joint training session on March 1, entitled School Security; Sharing and Enhancing Best Practices.
At no cost to participants, this training was put on by the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management along with the National Strategy Forum.
The training, held at Pritzker Military Library on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, was developed to assist local police agencies and school districts in preparing best practices for securing their campuses.
Some topics addressed at the seminar included characteristics of potential predators, real-time tactical operations and strategies and best practices for school security.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, “We must do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our children at school because of tragedies that we’ve seen occur across our country. Riverside Police and RB High School have taken a leadership role in promoting school safety and will work together in an effort to be as prepared as we possibly can be for all types school emergencies.”
Riverside-Brookfield High School Superintendent Kevin Skinkis stated, “One of the primary concerns of all the staff at Riverside-Brookfield High School is the continued safety of our students and staff. It’s important to have a safety plan in place before an incident occurs. Working together, we can significantly enhance safety for students, our staff and visitors while adding to their physical and mental well-being.”
Riverside Police Sgt. Leo Kotor and Riverside-Brookfield High School Assistant Principal John Passarella have been working on school safety for many years; both are highly qualified and motivated and have brought enhanced security plans to the District 208 campus.
Chief Weitzel and Superintendent Skinkis have pledged to continue to partner on training opportunities as they become available.
