Richards High School in Oak Lawn will have a school resource officer to manage traffic amid safety concerns at the school at 106th Street and Central Avenue.
Mike Conroy, who has worked for the Oak Lawn Police Department for 26 years, started Tuesday managing traffic outside of Richards both before and after school. During school hours, he helps out with an adult transitions program at the High School District 218 office, said Richards Principal MaLinda Majoch.
Majoch said the district has sought to address concerns about students’ safety crossing Central Avenue since before she was hired as principal in fall 2024. The High School District 218 board discussed the benefits of hiring an another school resource officer May 15, with board President Carol Kats saying the area becomes very hectic as students walk to school in the mornings.
“I drive past Richards every morning on my way to work, and I see how unsafe it is,” Kats said. “There’s really only one light for them to cross, and they just dash across the street.”
Superintendent Josh Barron mentioned what he called unfortunate situations where students have been hit. In 2019, 15-year-old Amira Nairat was struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver at the 107th Street and Central Avenue crosswalk.
Majoch said many students try to cross Central at the four blocks located from 103rd Street to 107th Street, putting them at additional risk.
“Unfortunately, students will eyeball it and try and get across the street, because they don’t want to walk out of their way to get to a crosswalk,” she said.
Richards’ current school resource officer, Brian Black, helps manage traffic as he can while working the building of 1,600 students during school hours.
“Traffic happens to be one of the things he’s assisted with, but by and large he’s a very busy man all throughout the day,” Majoch said.
Hiring an another resource officer aims to deter students from illegally crossing the busy intersections, either by foot or electric scooter. Majoch said the scooters, which are available to rent, remain a common mode of transportation for some students, though Oak Lawn passed regulations in September requiring riders to be 16 or older.
Majoch also hopes Conroy’s squad car will remind to drivers to slow down and look for pedestrians while in the school zone.
“Unfortunately nowadays, people are constantly doing other things while driving — they’re on their phones, they’re putting on their makeup, they’re sipping on their coffee,” Majoch said. “We’re in a world full of distractions, so anytime you can have flashing lights in a car and a uniformed officer making sure to alert you of what’s going on … that’s a huge help.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
