Recently, we were approached by our school district to hire a School Resource Officer for our intermediate school.  With emphasis on school safety and interaction with the children, we decided to move forward and bring back a retired officer to fill the newly created position.  The position carries several responsibilities such as classroom instruction, bullying counseling, enhancing the security of the school, enforcing the law, and being a school and community liaison.  As is any new position, funding the position was a lengthy topic.  We were fortunate, our school district agreed to fund this officer for the next two years.  However, the importance of this officer does not diminish in two years and funding is going to become an issue.  Due to the fact that this is an issue that affects the entire country, is federal funding being discussed to continue these efforts?

Unfortunately, between 1992 and 2012, there were a total of 67 “Active Shooter” type incidents at schools throughout the United States.  There were a total of 67 incidents, with 229 injured and 159 fatalities.  There were a total of 4 incidents at Elementary Schools, 12 at Middle Schools, 35 at High Schools, and 16 at Colleges/Universities. (Officer Chubb-Auburn Hills Police Department 3/15/13)

We all hope that our school is not one that encounters an issue that results in a level of massive crime.  Regardless of whether we have a serious issue or not, this officer is an invaluable resource to our community.  This officer is providing guidance to our children to make better choices and increasing their familiarity with him which eventually leads to approachability when a student needs it most.

Is there going to be funding in the future for this position and where should it be funded from?