Madison County announces funding for school patrol officers

When the Madison County Board of Supervisors adopted a $122 million budget Dec. 4, 2018, it included funding for school patrol officers.

The county has agreed to pay $18,000 a year toward having an SPO in every school building within the county. The total cost of an SPO per year is $37,000; the school district will be responsible for the additional$19,000.

An armed officer has been offered countywide to be placed in kindergarten through 12th-grade buildings. Schools that have expressed interest in taking part in the program are Chittenango, DeRuyter, Madison, Brookfield, Morrisville-Eaton and Oneida City School Districts.

“We live in a time where we must consider the safety of our youth as a top priority,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman John M. Becker.“Being able to aid our school districts with providing this safety is a no-brainer. I am proud that the Board of Supervisors made this funding a priority in this year’s budget.”

Madison County is accepting applications for the school patrol officer positions. Interested, qualified individuals may find the job description and application at madisoncounty.ny.gov.

SPOs, under supervision of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, will be responsible for upholding the law, maintaining order and providing security in the Madison County school districts.

“The objective is to ensure a safe environment for the children of Madison County,” said Sheriff Todd Hood. “Our officers will be there to uphold the law, build relationships with the students and provide a safe place. The program is in the beginning stages, but we are hoping that every school will take part in this program.”

“The safety and security of our students and staff is the greatest responsibility of the Chittenango Central School District and the application of highly effective targeted resources is critical to maximizing our security, preparedness and proactive planning,” said Chittenango School District Superintendent Michael Eiffe. “A school patrol officer acts not only as a deterrent to those who would threaten our safety, but also as agents of school-community relationship-building and positive, proactive engagement with local first-responders.

“The deployment of this resource is representative of the resolve the CCSD has regarding student and staff safety. Furthermore, our collaboration with local partners is symbolic of the amazing community we call Madison County, Chittenango Schools and Bear Country.”

“The safety of our community’s children is one of all educators’ fundamental responsibilities,” said Morrisville-Eaton School District Superintendent Gregory Molloy. “A school safety officer in our buildings will reduce response times and add an additional layer of protection for the children we serve in the event we are ever faced with a tragic situation like those that have occurred in other schools.

“We believe in this program and are excited about the possibility of partnering with the Madison County Sheriffs’ Office, the towns of Eaton and Smithfield and Morrisville to keep our children safe.”

“We are so appreciative of the collaboration between Madison County and DeRuyter Central Schools,” said DeRuyter Central School District Superintendent David Brown. “We know how important student safety is to the education of our children. This is an important aspect to the overall safety to our learning community. Thank you to Mr. Daniel Degear, DeRuyter town supervisor,for all of his work on this endeavor.”

By martha

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