Elementary school resource officers now permanent

Putting full-time certified police officers into Orange County Schools elementary schools last December was meant to be a temporary precaution — but 10 months later, the resource officers are still walking the halls of the schools.

The district hired the officers after 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., were shot and killed.

The schools’ officers are armed.

“After the incident in Connecticut, the sheriff assigned deputies to each of the elementary schools,” Orange County Schools’ spokesman Michael Gilbert said.

“As an added precaution, the district worked with his office to assign them permanently.”

Gilbert said middle and high schools in the district have had officers assigned to each school for more than 20 years. And the added officers in elementary schools have become part of the district’s safety protocols.

The district pays for the salaries of the resource officers — $31,000 a year on average, Gilbert said. There are seven elementary schools in the district, and each school has one officer.

The program has no end point, Gilbert said.

Some parents in the school district disagree with the decision to make the officers permanent fixtures at the schools.

Kurtis Keller, Hillsborough Elementary School’s PTA vice president, said he does not think permanent officers are necessary because he felt the schools were already safe with teachers, staff and families.

“Putting the money toward teaching the children and assisting the teachers to do this by reducing their paperwork load would be a better use of funds and efforts,” Keller said.

John Bemis, PTA president of Hillsborough Elementary School, said while he thought the likelihood of a threat is relatively low, the officers reassure parents and teachers about the safety of the school.

“Having met the resource officers who work at my daughter’s school, Hillsborough Elementary, I believe they contribute more to the school community than just security,” Bemis said in an email.

The officers teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) and Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) classes, as well as act as liaisons with the staff.

The Orange County Sheriff’s office outlines the officers’ roles as instructors, law enforcers and advisors.

“The mere presence of an officer helps deter unwanted persons from frequenting campuses,” its website states.

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