Rockton Police work to ensure student safety to and from school

ROCKTON, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockton Police Officer Joseph Naser is dedicated to ensuring the safety of students during their commutes to and from school.

Officer Naser patrols the community, focusing on protecting children and engaging with them both on the streets and within schools.

“It’s important that we get out here and we can serve the community and be here to help protect the kids, you know, in every way possible,” Officer Naser said.

In addition to patrolling, Officer Naser spends time inside schools, which allows him to familiarize himself with the layout for better preparedness in case of emergencies.

“Not only are we going in or we’re getting to interact with the kids and everybody, but also on a safety aspect, you know, we as officers then get to know the layout of the school that much better,” he explained. “And not only do I get to protect other people’s kids, I get to protect my own.”

Naser emphasizes the role of the community in ensuring student safety, particularly by avoiding distracted driving and speeding.

“The only thing I if I could ask, you know, anything at all, it would be please put your phones down and watch your speeds and drive safely,” he urged.

Officer Naser’s commitment to student safety is evident in his proactive approach and community engagement, aiming to create a safer environment for all children.

“I love interacting with all different kinds of people. So getting to go to the schools and, you know, put a smile on the kid’s faces. That’s awesome. It’s a really good feeling,” he concluded.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.