CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville is getting its' first dedicated school resource officer.
The Clarksville Town Council on Monday agreed to split the cost of the full-time position with Providence High School every year.
The cost will include the officer’s salary, benefits, equipment, and training, totaling to just over $130,000 per year.
Clarksville Police Chief Mark Palmer said he was approached by school officials earlier this year about possibly working out an agreement to provide a School Resource Officer, and that those discussions took several months.
Steve Beyl, principal of Our Lady of Providence High School, said it's an investment in all 374 high schoolers and their families.
Beyl said the school has a good relationship with the Town of Clarksville. Officers often work security at sporting events and school dances, and police help with traffic at graduation and big events.
"So we just sort of see this as an expansion, having someone here from 7:30 to 3:30, every school day, just a first responder in the building. We saw it as a win," Beyl said. "To have an opportunity to bring someone with those resources into our building on a daily basis was something that couldn't pass up."
Steve Beyl, principal of Our Lady of Providence High in Clarksville, Indiana. (WDRB Image by Molly Jett) Nov. 9, 2023
The school’s portion of the SRO cost works out to around $51,500 and will be paid in two installments each year to the Town. In exchange, the Town will be required to provide the school with a one or more police officers to work at the school for a maximum of 180 student days each school year. Those days will be selected by the school.
Officials at Providence High School said they plan to use funds from a “COPS” grant to fund their portion of the SRO cost. Those federal grant dollars are awarded by The Office of Community Oriented Policing within the Department of Justice and the Indiana Secured School Fund.
The Town has a similar agreement with Clarksville Community Schools to share the cost of providing a full-time SRO.
For more information about Our Lady of Providence High School, click here.
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