Security Department
School Safety & Security
Hanover Community School Corporation has made a strong commitment to keeping all of our students safe while in school, as well as offering them the tools necessary to stay safe and excel in their chosen fields as they leave our community. At the heart of our efforts is the Hanover Community School Corporation School Safety and Security program. This program establishes positive methods of communication between students, parents, the community, the law enforcement and the school corporation.
In the mid 80’s to early 90’s, SRO’s (School Resource Officers) were usually known as School Police Liaison Officers. Those positions morphed into School Resource Officers and helped debunk the growing theory that schools were becoming a pipeline into the criminal justice system. Current school safety and security programs and protocols reach far beyond traditional police activities and address issues unique to education. School Safety programming has become much more than a uniformed police presence inside school buildings. The model for the Hanover Community School Corporation Safety and Security Department includes a Director of School Safety and Security who has a specific skill set and knowledge of law enforcement and the ability to assimilate into the school culture. The Director of School Safety and Security deals with a wide variety of school safety issues including; individual facility evaluations, residency issues, discipline issues, truancy, bullying and ever growing concerns regarding school shootings.
The School Safety and Security program will continue to grow and become more valuable with the input and involvement of parents and the community. If you have any pertinent information you feel is worth sharing that will help us on this mission, please contact us. All contact information will remain confidential and will only be used for the betterment of the Hanover Community School Corporation.
Tip Line
If you SEE something, SAY something!
Call the number below if you have something to report:
219-374-3800 #8477 (TIPS)
All reports will be sent to a voicemail box that is sent to our head of security, Michael O'Donnell.
Submitting false information is not a joke. Please use this TIP line for serious tips ONLY!
Director of School Safety & Security
Mr. O'Donnell's service as Director of School Safety and Security with the Hanover Community School Corporation began on July 3, 2018.
A NWI native, Mr. O’Donnell is a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Bloomington, IN and holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the Indiana University Northwest, School of Public and Environmental Affairs. “I always wanted to be a policeman and made my educational and personal choices to accommodate an appropriate path to achieve that goal,” said Mr. O’Donnell. In addition to a full career as a Police Officer and School Resource Officer with the Highland Police Department, Mr. O’Donnell joined Hanover after having served as a teacher at Lowell High School, teaching Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Traffic Investigation and Criminal Investigation.
“In my last twelve years with the Highland Police Department, I had the opportunity to serve as the School Resource Officer and I got to see education from the inside. It helped confirm my thought that when my years as an active duty officer were over, I would like to teach. As a teacher at Lowell, I realized that I missed safety and security. I believe providing safety and security in a school setting is an absolutely essential part of the educational environment today. This position enables me to utilize my experience and training to help ensure the safety of Hanover students and staff,” explained Mr. O’Donnell.
Outside his role as Director of School Safety and Security for Hanover schools, Mr. O’Donnell is a happy husband to his wife of over 30 years, Traci, the supervisor of radiology at Franciscan Hospital in Dyer. Together the couple are the proud parents of four grown children. They have twin daughters, Kelsey and Morgan, both of whom are nurse practitioners. Daughter, Brittany, is a division accountant with Republic Services. The youngest O’Donnell son, Trevor, has followed in his father’s footsteps and serves as a Police Officer with the Dyer Police Department. All four children are graduates of St. Joseph's College.
Mr. O’Donnell is a motorcycle enthusiast and enjoys riding his Harley Davidson Ultra Limited and touring with his wife. He also enjoys gardening, but his most rewarding outside activity is being a grandparent to his eight grandchildren.
Mr. O’Donnell’s professional affiliations include membership and board service with both the Lake County Safe Schools Commission and the Lake County Substance Abuse Council, He is an active member of the Indiana School Resource Officer Association. As Director of School Safety and Security, Mr. O’Donnell looks forward to continuing the implementation of the Hanover Emergency Preparedness Plan and further education of staff, students and community partners about new initiatives and advancements in school safety and security.
“I want parents to know that the most important thing they can do is to stay involved and engaged with their children. It’s essential that parents take an active role in their children’s lives,” said Mr. O’Donnell. “I’ve seen the results of children who haven’t had strong parental influence and can’t stress how important their participation is to their child’s education and well-being,” he added.
