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School resource officers on agenda |
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Thursday, 21 August 2008 |
Number of needed officers, who will pay in question
Further discussion about school resource officers is expected when the Bryant City Council meets in special session tonight.
The meeting will start at 6 at Boswell Municipal Complex.
School Superintendent Richard Abernathy met with aldermen last week about how many resources officers may be needed for the school district and how the program would be funded.
Both parties agreed that more officers are needed and said they would continue to work out the details. However, aldermen declined a contract proposal from the Bryant School Board that included nine-month salaries and benefits compensation for two resource officers.
“We know that we have a problem with SROs and one SRO on campus is unacceptable,” Alderman Rick Meyer said previously.
“I don’t care if it costs me my position on the council, but I feel that strongly about it. I am thinking we need four or six officers now, and maybe down the road, 10 or 12. I think the money we would spend on that would be well spent.”
Other aldermen voiced concerns over the lack of SROs to monitor the school district, which is one of the largest in the state. The district has 10 campuses and more than 7,000 students.
Abernathy agreed that more officers are needed and said the School Board is willing to sit down with the council and reach an agreement. In a July 21 letter to Mayor Larry Mitchell, Abernathy said the School Board would “entertain any proposal that might be considered by the city to increase the number of SROs.”
Abernathy said that when the contract proposal was completed in July, the board realized that it was not a final offer and expected aldermen to offer input. He also said that in the past, the school district has had up to four SROs.
This year, Abernathy said, “Two is better than none.”
Aldermen and Mitchell said they disagree with a portion of the contract proposal that says the city will need to take responsibility for the SRO program and compensate the school district for any possible litigation resulting from the program.
At its Aug. 14 meeting, the council said the Bryant Police Department will monitor the schools until an SRO agreement is reached. Councilmen also said that in the absence of a contract, Police Chief Tony Coffman “can implement any special procedures as necessary to provide efficient and timely response to Bryant Schools.”
In other business tonight, city Planning Coordinator LaVenia Jones will present two proposed ordinances concerning an annexation proposal. The ordinances would allow an annexation vote to be held during the Nov. 4 general election.
Wastewater Superintendent Monty Ledbetter is expected to propose a bond program to fund city projects.
Other aldermen are Steve Gladden, Steve Glenn, Larry Smart, Robby Young, Green, Danny Steele and Chris Tipton.
All council meetings are open to the public.
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