Mr. Shawn Walsh, the new School Resource Officer, has arrived at Sandburg, hoping to help improve safety and be a positive influence on the school community, following in the footsteps of former SRO, Mr. Chuck Kirby.
Located in the Dean’s Office, Mr. Walsh’s office is where he spend his time helping the school, but most of the time he can be found walking around and getting to know people in the building. As someone who grew up in Orland Park, he wants to be able to really become part of the school community. “I just feel like this would be a rewarding place to work to try and be a positive influence on the young people. And I thought it’d be fun to be around my former players, friends, the teachers, and I just really believe we have a good school and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Mr. Walsh.
However, much has changed since he attended the school years ago; he specifically highlights new facilities like larger sports fields and a strong focus on technology.
While trying to make sure that people are comfortable around him and to find a new place in Sandburg, as a SRO, he also keeps a close eye on problems around the school. During a typical day, he handles many different tasks. In his own words, he says his goals are to “protect the school, the students, and staff that are inside of it, but on a daily basis I’m always fielding questions from staff or students. We consult on problems and try to think of a constructive way to handle it. I have a lot of students stop in and ask me questions or just want to say hi.”
When introducing a new school resource officer into a school building, there are a lot of effects on the whole school community. The presence of a school resource officer is shown to reduce bullying, threats, and increase overall safety on the school premises, and can ensure quicker response when problems arise that may need first responders or other services.
They can also foster a sense of trust and community among students, showing them that law enforcement can be relied on and to promote positive interactions between the police force and school attendees. Sophomore student Foster Luckhard said, “He’s a pretty cool fella, a real stand-up guy…[I hopes that he] continues doing good in his job and continues the legacy of Kirby.”
It’s very important that a school resource officer is able to balance maintaining a healthy balance between safety and learning. When handling problems that a traditional community police officer might not have to, he says ” I’m about providing a safe environment, protecting the school, providing a safe environment, so that you and your fellow students can be comfortable, learn in a safe environment, get a good education, and go into the real world to be successful. That’s my goal.”
Instead of being overly strict or harsh, he wants to set people up for success, and is not focused on extreme disciplinary action. He says, “When you’re a police officer working out on the streets, in public, a lot of times, most of our calls involve adults, and how we treat adults obviously is a little different. I try to be positive and set a good role model for the students.”
Some students could be intimidated by Mr. Walsh as an authority figure, but he wants to remind Sandburg that his first priority is to help people feel safe in school and get to know the community better. “What I’ve learned is, a lot of times, just by greeting someone with a smile, simply a smile can set the tone for a good meeting.”
However, in any school community, some incidents are bound to occur. When such a thing happens, Mr. Walsh says to “Tell an adult. Tell a trusted teacher, tell the police, tell your parents. We have here at Sandburg, on the website, the ability to report anything that’s suspicious, anything that concerns you.”
If you ever want to leave a report, you can use this link (https://lf.d230.org/Forms/dPkaR). When it comes to keeping our school safe, everyone can do their part.