Township Authorizes 3-Year Agreement for School Resource Officer

Manchester's  has approved an agreement to continue providing a School Resource Officer for high school students. 

The program, which stations a police officer at  throughout the school day, has been in existence for three years, said Chief of Police Brian Klimakowski after the governing body voted to approve the agreement Monday. The new contract will extend for three years, beginning with the 2012-13 school year. 

"There's the presence of a police officer at the high school during the entire duration of the school year," the chief said. 

An officer is assigned to the high school every day that school is in session. If the assigned officer is sick or must attend police training and cannot be at the school, another fills in, Klimakowski said. 

Manchester's Board of Education will pay the township $30,000 per year for the officer to be stationed at the school, according to the chief.

"[The board of education will] basically subsidize the program by paying some of the costs," Klimakowski said. 

When the Board of Education approved the original agreement in 2009, Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway said that having an officer on high school grounds was "tremendous," according to a statement on the district's website. 

“Not only to react to any crisis but also to foster communication in and out of school and to create a bond between the police department and our students,” he said at the time.

Students are encouraged to speak with the officer about their problems. The officer also is present in the parking lot and hallways as students arrive and leave, according to the district.