Greenwich’s Tom Reale Designated Traffic Safety Hero

Retired Greenwich school crossing guard Tom Reale, 97, has been named a Traffic Safety Hero. The honor was bestowed by AAA Northeast at their sixth Annual Community Traffic Safety Awards lunch was at Testo’s in Bridgeport.

The AAA commended Reale for his 40 years of continuous service as the town’s most senior School Crossing Guard.

Police Chief James Heavey, who nominated Reale, wrote that his dedication, no matter the weather, has ensured the safety of generations of Greenwich students coming and going from school.

At the event, AAA Northeast also honored the Greenwich Police Department with a Gold Award for their outstanding traffic safety programs, which include mature driver training classes, the Citizens’ Police Academy and a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, (STEP) that addresses traffic-related problems in town with the goal of reducing collisions by 4%, among other initiatives.

Last April Mr. Reale was also honored during Greenwich Police’s medal ceremony at the Western Greenwich Civic Center.