Harper Woods

School safeties recognized for dedication to post

By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by April Lehmbeck Police Lt. Robert Hunter and Sgt. John Vorgitch pose with Safety Patrol Award recipients Anthony Monteleone, Roy Taylor and Sana Hashmi during last week’s council meeting. Photo by April Lehmbeck Police Lt. Robert Hunter and Sgt. John Vorgitch pose with Safety Patrol Award recipients Anthony Monteleone, Roy Taylor and Sana Hashmi during last week’s council meeting.

HARPER WOODS — The Harper Woods Police Department wants to make sure everyone knows that they’re not the only ones out in the community working to keep people safe by recognizing some of the youngest officers on the street.

Every year, the department invites the top safety patrol student from each of the city’s schools to receive a Safety Patrol Award for their hard work.

This year’s award recipients were recognized at the Sept. 17 City Council meeting. Poupard Elementary student Roy Taylor, Chandler Park Academy student Sana Hashmi and Tyrone Elementary student Anthony Monteleone each received a plaque, and the Police Officers Association provided a gift certificate for each of them. 

“These kids sacrifice their own personal time,” Police Lt. Robert Hunter said. “These are the leaders of the future. Every day, rain or shine … they’re the first ones in and the last ones to leave.”

Hunter spoke to the families of the recipients as well, telling them that the students demonstrated the “leadership that you’ve instilled in them.“

“You’ve contributed to the safety of this community,” he said.

Mayor Ken Poynter agreed.

“You’re safeguarding our community and making it a much better place to live, so we thank you very much,” Poynter said to the safeties.

The students said they were proud of their awards and talked about why they liked being safeties.

“I wanted to keep the students on track, so they wouldn’t go crazy, and they couldn’t hurt themselves,” Hashmi said. “I wanted to make sure that they would stay safe.”

Taylor talked about how he enjoys “hanging out with my friends … and crossing the students safely and getting hot cocoa in the winter.”

Monteleone “thought it would be cool,” he said.

“All my friends were doing it, and I thought it would be fun,” he said. “It is just fun being a safety.”

The families at the meeting beamed with pride during and after the award presentation. All three students had a lot of support from family at the meeting with parents snapping photos of the big night.

“He takes it very seriously,” Sandy Falk, Taylor’s mother, said.

Hashmi’s parents, Syed Hashmi and Pauline Hashmi, talked about how proud they were of all three of their daughters.

“Her smile’s 100 suns burning,” Pauline Hashmi said of her daughter’s response to the award.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer April Lehmbeck at alehmbeck@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1043.