U.F. to hire school
resource officer
Funding for police officer would come from federal grant
By ruth calia stives
Staff Writer

The Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education is hoping to establish a School Resource Officer Program to take a proactive approach to school-related crime and safety issues.

An Allentown police officer would be used for the program, which would be funded with federal money, according to a program explained at last week’s board meeting.

The school district will apply to the federal government for a grant of $135,000, which will cover three years of the mandatory four-year program. The district must pay for the fourth year.

It would provide for two training sessions for a police officer from the Allentown Police Department, as well as training for a school administrator.

According to Dr. Rod Logan, who handles security issues for the Upper Freehold Regional School District, "The program is designed to assist schools in maintaining a safe and caring environment."

Through training programs and seminars, the principles of safety will be reinforced, and students will be encouraged to follow positive paths, he explained.

An officer assigned to work in and around the high school will focus on building a good relationship with the students, teachers, faculty and staff in an effort to aid in the prevention of problems. The officer will help develop counseling programs for students involved in minor delinquent acts, as an alternative for dealing with first-time offenders or minor offenses.

In addition, the officer would act as liaison between the school and the juvenile justice system in the event of a situation requiring court appearances and would present teachers, administrators and staff with information concerning school and community problems that affect students and their classroom performance.

Classroom or assembly presentations, with the assigned officer participating, would cover such topics as motor vehicle laws, driving under the influence and the consequences of illegal activity.

According to Logan, the program would provide an opportunity to identify high-risk students and to reduce risk factors.

The officer, who would be in the school on a routine basis, would develop relationships with the students and would be in a position to identify those students at risk.

The officer would also assist school officials in developing programs of prevention with regard to such problems as assault, drug trafficking and related violence, hate crimes, vandalism, weapons possession, sexual violence and theft.

Board President Lynn Meara expressed support for the program but also stated, "It’s critical that the person hired for this job have the skills to deal with children, not regarding them as potential criminals. There needs to be a rapport established."

Logan concurred and said a younger officer would most likely be more successful in building rapport with high school students.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Connelly expressed support for what he described as a pro-active program, explaining, "This is not being put into place because we’re experiencing problems, but to avoid future problems." He cited the success of the program in the South Brunswick school system, where the population is larger and more diverse, as an indicator that the program would be beneficial in Allentown High School.