The Livingston Board of Aldermen approved a new school resource officer contract with the Overton County School System Monday.
The city budgeted over $100,000 to split the costs for school resource officers inside the city limits earlier this year. City Attorney Andre Greppin said he reviewed the new contract with Director of Schools Donnie Holman.
“The main change between the previous agreement and this one is that it gives the school principal a lot more authority over what happens in the school,” Greppin said. “We discussed that and the chief did not have any objection to that.”
Greppin said under the contract, the city police chief would have the authority to call a school resource office to help in an emergency outside of school. Police Chief Ray Smith said the department will have four school resource officers including an additional hire happening soon.
“We have one at AH Roberts that will also be at the REACH Academy,” Smith said. “We have one at LMS and then we have two at the high school. That is the goal when it is all said and done. They are very important positions. We try to put folks in there that will work well in the school.”
Smith said over his years with the department, principals have worked well with the officers. The agreement will be considered by the Overton County Board of Education Tuesday night.
“We’re all in agreement on this contract agreement with the Overton County Board of Education,” Mayor Curtis Hayes said.
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