Still awaiting a decision by the West Liberty School Board of Education, the West Liberty Police Department hopes to be able to provide a new school resource officer for the district in the early weeks of the new school year,
Police Chief Joshua Houser says the district is surrounded by neighboring school districts who provide the police position including Wilton, Durant, Tipton, West Branch and Columbus Junction. His department has a trained officer, Derek Holmes, who is ready to step into the position.
He said communication between the schools and the police department has made great strides toward the development of a school resource officer position and further conversations will continue. “I know it’s a change and people are hesitant when it comes to change,” said the chief.
Houser says although his department provides protection and has done some safety training in the schools, having a full-time officer on the school grounds will make a difference in the community. “He’s enthusiastic about the position,” Houser said.
“There are a lot of programs for teachers,” the chief said, indicating things like bullying, first aid and trauma (Stop the Bleed), as well as incidents that involve security (ALICE training) will all be part of the educational process, planning to enhance some of the training that’s already been done in some school buildings.
He says it’s all about making the schools better and more safe. He said removing fear and anxiety toward officers would have great dividends, noting police officers can be intimidating not only for children but adults as well.
A road block
The major road block for the district may come down to cost, as 70 percent of the officer’s wages are picked up by the district while the remaining 30 percent would be paid by the city. There are grants available to counter some of those costs and the chief noted he’s had “great support” from administrators in desiring the program, including Superintendent Shaun Kruger. The administrator came to West Liberty after serving as a middle school principal in Perry, where there was an active shooting incident on Jan. 4. A high school principal, Dan Marburger, was killed, along with a sixth-grade student. Eight students and staff members were shot at Perry by 17-year-old Dylan Butler, who eventually killed himself.
Jake Burroughs, president of the school board for the past three years, said the board is waiting for a Memorandum of Understanding before making an informed decision on the new position. He said before the board can make any kind of decision, they need to know solid financial numbers as well as to, “Weigh out whether it fits our district or not.”
He called the program “very exploratory,” noting the police have met with a district leadership team and have even brought a proposal to a school board meeting, but Burroughs says the board still needs concrete figures on costs before a decision is made. He was unsure a decision would be made before the start of the school year, which begins Aug. 23.
Typical costs
Houser said those percentages of costs are typical for a school resource officer program but noted that amount can vary depending on the officer’s current hourly pay, overtime hours for sporting events or other extra curricular activities and more.
He said an SRO (school resource officer) is typically stationed in the middle school, where problems may occur due to immaturity, but said he would expect the officer to spend time in every building, from pre-school to high school. The chief said teaching youngsters how to handle technology and social media through the Internet can be helpful in many aspects.
Houser said there are a lot of benefits to having a school resource officer on campus, including building stronger relationships between the police and students as well as teachers. “If a youngster knows an officer he is more likely to come to him with a program or report something he’s seen,” said Houser.
He said there’s a possibility of starting a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in the schools as well as teaching the consequences of sexting, learning about human trafficking, bullying and more
The West Liberty Police Department currently has four of their six full time positions filled and has a good number of part-time officers.
Ready to take post
Holmes said he was inspired by his wife, Stacy, to become a school resource officer after she witnessed the effect it had on the first grade class she teaches in Iowa City. “It got my attention,” he said.
Holmes said West Liberty’s annual holiday “Shop with a Cop” program also was inspirational. “It’s such a positive thing,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than to see a smile on a kid's face and the effects it has on the families.”
He said cops seem to get viewed in a different way and hopes the program will help kids “look at officers in a different light,”
Holmes said one of the major advantages for the school district is the fact he will be available the entire school day. “I won’t get called away on another call,” he said, noting it would have to be something pretty important to have to leave the schools.
“We can essentially promise we’ll be there to fill the school’s needs,” he said. “Now, there are times things get put on the back burner,” he said, pointing out the schools would be his main priority in taking care of problems.
Holmes said although he learned about a lot of school programs for teachers at the one-week seminar he took in late May to earn certification. He’s also hoping to take a two-week DARE class in Des Moines in October. He said working on diversity issues is also among the top things on his list.
Holmes said he can’t wait to get involved with the schools full time and hopes to see approval in the following weeks. “When they’re ready, we’ll be ready” he said.