New School Resource Officers Could Soon Come Into Play in Southington

In the wake of the Newtown school shooting, the Southington school district has taken various steps to enhance school safety and security, working both with members of the public to upgrade community efforts and address concerns and behind the scenes to enhance policies.

Now the town council and Southington Police Department are working together to see if they could provide a little added support.

The council this week approved a motion giving Police Chief Jack Daly and the town’s grant writers an opportunity to explore whether Southington could receive an annual Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to hire three additional school resource officers.

“At this point, there is no specific number we are seeking yet, although through the annual budget we had requested three,” Daly said. “Two would be for the middle schools and one would be roaming between all the elementary schools. Right now, we are just looking use of grant writer to send to the training to see if we could be eligible for this grant.”

Under the grant, Daly said, the federal government would fund the costs for salary and benefits – up to $125,000 annually per officer – for the first three years. In the fourth year, the town would be responsible for maintaining the program and taking on 100 percent of the costs.

The town would not be liable to keep the program running after the fourth year, however.

According to Southington police, a similar pilot program was established at Southington High School about 15 years ago and the success of the program justified continuing it beyond the end of the required pilot time period.

“The SRO program is a proactive approach to deal with the pressures today's young people find themselves having to confront. This includes the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, along with peer pressure, gang activity, and sex,” the police department website states. “These situations are not only in the schools, but in the community as well. The approach of addressing these issues only in the school, or only in the community, has not been completely effective. Traditionally, police and school did not interact until one called upon the other.”

The COPS grant is likely to be competitive this year, especially given the events that unfolded in Newtown, where 26 people were killed including 20 students in December 2012.

Members of the town council were in unanimous support of effort, saying they would also like to contact the town’s state legislators to seek support in securing the grant. Being a Connecticut town, several council members said they believe support of the legislators could help secure such a grant.

“After tragedy of Newtown, no one wants to see that kind of incident repeated,” said Councilman John Barry. “I want to see it happen and after three years if we have to pay, then so be it. If this is a proven way that will work to prevent tragedy, I’m in favor of it.”

Is it time for the town to put SROs in each middle school? Would you be willing to see the program even if the town had to absorb the entire cost to implemented? Tell us in the comments section below.

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