Armed officers will guard Hasbrouck Heights schools full-time starting in September
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS NJ June 11 2018 — Armed officers will be assigned to guard students at four schools when the school year starts in September.
The posting of armed police inside the borough schools is a move that follows neighboring towns where police have been assigned to protect pupils since the shooting in which 17 people were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February.
Borough and school officials have been discussing assigning police to schools since last year. But hiring the guards was made a priority after the Parkland shooting Chief Michael Colaneri said.
“We have to keep our kids safe, especially in school,” Colaneri said.
After the Parkland shooting, other school districts including Hillsdale, Woodland Park have posted officers at schools and Northern Valley Regional schools will also be assigning officers to its two campuses in September. Garfield, Hackensack, and Mahwah have also been considered hiring police officers to guard schools.
In Lodi, officers were added to the schools after a 2012 school shooting in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were shot and killed. The town and the district split the $250,000 annual cost of eight officers.
Woodcliff Lake Pear Blossom festival on Saturday May 12, 2018. Lori Alhadeff releases 17 doves at the festival in remembrance of the 17 lives lost during as a result of the Parkland shooting. Her daughter, Alyssa Alhadeff, was a victim of the shooting and used to live in the borough. Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com
Officers assigned to guard schools are typically special class III officers, who must be retired police and meet other state requirements.
Since February, Hasbrouck Heights has assigned full-time officers to the district’s two elementary schools, the middle/high school building, and Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in town.
“Since the officers have been assigned to the schools we’ve received positive feedback from parents and the staff,” Colaneri said. “Its worked out well so far.”
The school district will be reimburse the borough for the cost of the officers wages, Mayor Jack DeLorenzo said. He said they are still waiting to hear back budget numbers from the school.
It’s also unknown how many officers will be hired. Colaneri said they are looking to place someone at all the public schools and have them available for after school programs. The borough Police Department is still in discussions with Corpus Christi if an officer will be there in September.
A man views a memorial for the 17 students killed in
A man views a memorial for the 17 students killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School before the ENOUGH: National School Walkout rally in Parkland, Florida, on March 14, 2018. (Photo: Scott McIntyre, Bloomberg)
“We’re trying to be flexible with part time,” Colaneri said. “They’re retired so we don’t know who will want to work a full week anymore. We also need to find fill-ins for any sick or vacations days.”
Dr. Matthew Helfant, superintendent of schools, said moving forward with the officers has been a joint effort. Helfant, originally approached the mayor for help improving school security.
“Of course, we wanted to help,” DeLorenzo said. “After discussions, the Class III seemed like the best options. Having the officers in schools will also help bridging a connection to the community.”
NorthJersey.com
