
A school resource officer at Waukegan High School has received two separate national awards for heroism and his work with youth, officials said.
The One In Five Foundation For Kids, a national nonprofit organization, announced Monday that it will be recognizing Waukegan Police Department School Resource Officer (SRO) Brian Falotico with its National Award for Heroism.
Falotico has been working at the Waukegan High School Washington campus for over nine years.
He was recently credited by school, law enforcement and district officials for his lengthy service protecting and fostering hundreds of positive relationships with students.
Daniel Chapin, the founder of the One In Five Foundation For Kids, said that several nominations for recognition came from parents and students.
“The relationship and dynamic between Officer Falotico and his students illustrates, to the highest degree, the intrinsic value of placing individuals such as this within the often misunderstood and undervalued SRO position in schools,” Chapin said.
“From long-term mentorship after, to providing a lunchtime refuge from cafeteria stress to developing enough trust to get leads on a crime committed in the city and more, to his empathetic, unique understanding of student life – Officer Falotico does more than most in the general public realize to foster peace and a positive school culture to prevent violence and allow students to be, well, simply students again,” Chapin said.
“We salute Officer Falotico & the department he serves. Heroes still wear badges. And, true heroes do not simply arise when a need arises. Like, Falotico, they work daily to prevent harm from ever visiting our students’ classrooms,” Chapin added.
An award presentation ceremony to honor Falotico will be planned in the near future.
The recognition of Falotico allows for the Waukegan Police Department to receive an official nomination for a school safety grant.
Last month, the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) announced that they had awarded Falotico with the 2024 Bridge the Gap Award.
The award honors SROs with an “outstanding commitment” to bridging the gap between youth and law enforcement, which they said Falotico “exemplifies this.”
His colleagues wrote in a nomination letter that Falotico creates a safe and inclusive space for all students.
“Officer Falotico has empowered those who may have felt marginalized or overlooked to find their voice and their place within the school community. Through his dedication and hard work, Officer Falotico has helped transform Waukegan High School-Washington Campus into a place where every student feels valued, supported, and inspired to be the best version of themselves,” the nomination letter said.
Falotico accepted the award during a ceremony in Arizona earlier this month.
The Waukegan Public Schools told Lake and McHenry County Scanner in a statement that “Officer Falotico is great.”
“He has been an amazing presence in and around Waukegan High School during his years as an SRO. He has an impressive rapport with students and staff, and is a great example of the positive partnership between schools and law enforcement that so many hope to build,” the school district said.