Oak Park and River Forest High School has hired Oak Park police sergeant Traccyee Love as its new director of campus safety and support. Love will begin working at OPRF Jan.5. She has been a sergeant for the community policing unit since June 2023. Love, a resident of Oak Park, joined the department as a patrol officer in 2011. She served as a patrol officer and a sergeant in that division.Love’s hiring was part of the consent agenda at the Dec. 21 meeting of the OPRF Board of Education.Love has worked closely with OPRF in her role as part of the community policing unit. In 201,7 Love filled in intermittently as the school’s school resource officer during the time when an Oak Park police officer was stationed at the school daily.
Oak Park and River Forest High School Director of Campus Safety Cindy Guerra is resigning after less than five months in the position. Her resignation is effective Nov. 27. Guerra, a retired Chicago Police officer, was hired by OPRF in July.Guerra did not immediately return a phone call from the Wednesday Journal seeking comment about why she resigned. OPRF Executive Director of Communications Karin Sullivan declined to comment about Guerra’s resignation.“That’s her story to tell,” Sullivan said.Guerra appeared to be getting positive reviews for her job performance at OPRF. In October, OPRF assistant superintendent and principal Lynda Parker told the school board that the school climate and safety had improved this year at OPRF. The school has hired more security guards this year.
The first fight at Oak Park and River Forest High School this year occurred on Sept. 22. That’s nearly a month later than the first fight physical altercation between students last year, which occurred on August 25, 2022. That’s evidence of an improved climate at OPRF this year Principal Lynda Parker told the District 200 Board of Education at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Oct. 12 when Parker presented a report titled “Updates on Safety at OPRFHS.”“There’s a very noticeable difference within the building in terms of conduct and how it’s being monitored,” Parker said.Parker delivered a similar message two days before the school board meeting to the OPRF Community Council.Parker said that new measures such as an increase in the number of security guards, known as the campus safety officers, and new strategies are having a positive impact. OPRF also has a new Director of Campus Safety this year, having hired Cindy Guerra, a former high ranking Chicago Police Departm