District 87 one of few in Illinois to have full-time security director

Posted on March 22, 2018
Barry Reilly and Brian Evans
District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly (left) and Director of Safety and Security Brian Evans discuss their efforts to boost and maintain security at the district’s schools. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A new safety officer is giving District 87 administrators an added sense of security.

Superintendent Barry Reilly said he believes the Bloomington-based school system is believed to be one of only a few in the state that has an administrator dedicated specifically to address school security.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Reilly and Evans on WJBC.

“I’m actually surprised that districts are not employing people in this position,” Reilly said. “Obviously, (for) a district of our size it makes sense compared to maybe a small district.

“To me, Brian (Evans) has been worth his weight in gold.”

Evans, a retired Bloomington Police officer who was hired to the new position before the 2016-17 school year, helps the district’s schools implement safety plans and making sure they are being followed, such as keeping doors locked and making sure first responders can easily find any point on the campus.

As for giving teachers guns as President Trump has proposed, he’s not ready to go there.

“When you go down that road, there’s a lot to be looked into, Evans said. “Carrying a firearm, especially within a school building, carries a lot of baggage, there’s a lot of responsibility there.”

Reilly said the school district has no plans to offer firearm training for teachers, calling that a knee-jerk response to school violence.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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