http://rutlandherald.com/article/20141001/NEWS02/710019921
Published October 1, 2014 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield considers school police officer
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — There might be a school-based Springfield police officer in the future.
That was as far as the School Board and the Select Board got Monday night in deciding whether to station a law enforcement officer at Springfield High School.
But the concept, which has been discussed off and on for at least five years, was not rejected out of hand by either board, which met jointly for the first time in more than a year.
Town Manager Robert Forguites noted the deadline for applying for the federal grant — which would subsidize the salary and benefits of the new officer — was in May. Forguites told the joint board and school administrators that communities receiving the grants were notified Monday.
He said the two boards should start working with the police department now on an application for the next round of grants, rather than wait for next May.
Forguites said the three-year grant would be for about $125,000, and would not fully cover the cost of the school officer.
He said that the full cost of the officer over three years would likely be closer to $210,000.
The grant would require that the entire cost in the fourth year be funded by the local community.
The two boards met in the cafeteria at Springfield High School to go over many joint issues — including the issue of law enforcement given the spate of drug-related crime in town.
School Superintendent Zachary McLaughlin said drug crime was relatively minor in the schools, with only five incidents at Springfield High School in the past year.
Two incidents were reported at Riverside Middle School last year, he said, and one of those was a child coming to school under the suspected influence of drugs.
McLaughlin said he knew that five incidents at the high school was not the total sum of drug problems at the school.
Police Chief Douglas Johnston, who was at the meeting with Lt. Mark Fountain, said that any officer hired for school duty, if he or she wasn’t already certified, would be largely absent for training in the first six months.
School and town officials said the school resource officer’s most important role is to create a positive relationship with students.
School nurse Jenny Anderson, who is married to retired Vermont State Police Capt. Kevin Anderson, said some children often have very negative opinions of police from their home experience. To counter that, she said, would be very valuable.
While the two boards took no votes on the issue, members from the two boards agreed that a job description should be hammered out well in advance of the grant application next spring.
Kristi Morris, chairman of the Select Board, asked School Board members about their views of having police officers make routine patrols and stops at the town’s four schools, much like the increased foot patrols in the downtown area.
The School Board and administration seemed to support the idea. McLaughlin said communication with parents would be essential.
Springfield considers school police officer
September 30,2014
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — There might be a school-based Springfield police officer in the future.
That was as far as the School Board and the Select Board got Monday night in deciding whether to station a law enforcement officer at Springfield High School.
But the concept, which has been discussed off and on for at least five years, was not rejected out of hand by either board, which met jointly for the first time in more than a year.
Town Manager Robert Forguites noted that the deadline for applying for the federal grant — which would subsidize the salary and benefits of the new officer — was in May. Forguites told the joint board and school administrators that communities receiving the grants were notified Monday.
He said the two boards should start working with the police department now on an application for the next round of grants, rather than wait for next May.
Forguites said the three-year grant would be for about $125,000, and would not fully cover the cost of the school officer.
Here ya go springfield. It begins again....asking for money that the taxpayers don't have. The risks are minimal as noted by the Superintendent so WHY? would we want to pay an additional 100K out of pocket tax money for this...The ulterior motive is a way to hire more cops and bilk the taxpayers. WISE UP
ReplyDeleteWhy? Well, why indeed! Because it's Springfield, a town that remains in denial of its own plight and failings. A town that dwells in the past, when shops were hopping and tax revenues were flowing. A town whose inept leaders believe can still have its cake and eat it, too - just as long as the cake is at least partially funded by federal or state grants that will ultimately expire and transfer the burden back on to the backs of a declining amount of taxpayers.
DeleteWelcome to the "business" of government, where incompetent busy bodies puff out their chests and point their noses to the sky with an air of importance because they have access to our monies and the power to take more whenever they feel like it.
Now, Springfielders, please open your wallets and say ahhhhhhhhh!
RE: School nurse Jenny Anderson, who is married to retired Vermont State Police Capt. Kevin Anderson, said some children often have very negative opinions of police from their home experience. To counter that, she said, would be very valuable.
ReplyDeleteAnother "publicly funded" rube heard from. Oh, I see, Jenny, we need to pay for MORE POLICE in order for kids to develop "positive opinions" of them? And of course, while we're at it, I would assume that we'd also need to raise your publicly funded salary and that of your "retired" hubby, too. Sure, why not. Any amount of money to achieve a "positive opinion".
$210,000 for 3 years? Does this package include a drug sniffing dog and metal detectors?
Delete