A request from Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham for an additional School Resource Officer for South Montgomery schools was approved Tuesday by the Montgomery County Council.
“I was contacted by South schools to add an additional officer and I believe it is the right thing to do,” Needham said. “To have an additional police presence in the schools is good and we all know what the world is like today.”
Needham said adding the officer will cost the county approximately $160,000 this year. The annual salary for a new officer is $60,000. Additional costs include employee benefits, new car, uniforms, guns and protective gear.
Mike Tricker, South Montgomery School Director of Operations, told the council he supports the request and spoke about the benefits of having a second SRO join SRO Jen Watson.
“We feel it will increase the amount of coverages at our elementary schools,” Tricker said.
Needham said a good SRO bonds with students and staff and is ready in case an emergency happens.
“To have trained people in our schools who are ready to fight bad people is something I hope we never will have to use,” Needham said.
After the meeting, Needham acknowledged last week’s school shooting in rural Iowa as an example of how an SRO can make a difference with a quick response time.
“The shooting in Iowa was out in the middle of nowhere,” Needham said. “You just never know.”
Although the council approved the additional appropriation, Needham does not have an officer to fill the position. North Montgomery schools received permission last year for a second SRO and it took approximately eight months to hire the new officer.
North’s newest SRO is Scott Teal and had his first day Tuesday. He joins SRO A.J. Rice.
Montgomery County Administrator Tom Klein reminded attendees that Tuesday was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and thanked all law enforcement personnel that serve the county and City of Crawfordsville.
C0uncil member Steve Loy reported to the council he will attempt to get all parts of the county judicial system together to explore how they can improve communication. He plans to gather some data that will be relevant to all parties.
The council reorganized for the new year. David Hunt was elected president and Jacob Bohlander was elected vice president.
Hunt appointed the following liaisons to county departments:
• Gary Booth to the highway department, sheriff’s office, emergency management and coroner.
• Brett Cating to the health department and Animal Welfare League.
• Joyce Grimble to the Montgomery County Soil and Water District and the Purdue Extension Office.
• Loy to commissioners, mapping, building/maintenance, surveyor, veteran’s services and weights and measures.
• Bohlander and Hunt to clerk, judges, probation, prosecutor and public defender offices.
• Matt Nelson to assessor, auditor, recorder and treasurer offices.
