Aiming to beef up security in the schools in response to a spate of school shootings nationwide, the Lawrence Township Public Schools and Lawrence Township have teamed up to provide a school resource officer and two Class III police officers in the schools.
Lawrence Township Police Officer Suzanne Girard, the school resource officer, and Class III police officers Rick Doldy and Matt Nemes were in place when school opened earlier this month.
While some parents welcomed the SRO and the Class III police officers, other parents were wary of having armed police officers in the schools. One parent raised the issue at the Lawrence Township Board of Education’s Sept. 12 meeting.
Officer Girard has been assigned to serve as the SRO at Lawrence High School. Doldy, who retired from the Lawrence Township Police Department, and Nemes, who retired from the Ewing Township Police Department, have been assigned to the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence Intermediate School, respectively.
Lawrence High School and Lawrence Middle School shared a SRO for many years, but the position was dropped for budgetary reasons in 2012. The SRO encourages students to follow the rules and helps to promote safety at school.
The Class III police officer is a new position that was created under legislation signed by former Gov. Chris Christie in 2016. Class III police officers are retired police officers. They wear a special uniform and carry a gun. Their role is to provide security and to be a liaison between the school administration and the Police Department.
However, Tam Ngo, who is the co-chairman of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, told school board at its Sept. 12 meeting that some parents felt uneasy about having armed police officers in the schools. They felt “blind-sided” by the lack of transparency, she said.
There is confusion about the role of the Class III police officers, Ngo said, asking whether it is to protect children from “active shooter” situations. Some students have behavioral issues and may have trouble understanding and following directions in a stressful situation, she said.
School board president Kevin Van Hise said the decision to put armed police officers in the schools grew out of community discussions in the wake of the school shooting in Florida. A group of residents organized a meeting to discuss school security, and school district officials asked to be included.
Township Council also was involved in the discussions, Van Hise said.
“It was not a last-minute decision. It was very well thought out. It was demanded by the public. What you are seeing is the culmination of a year’s worth of work,” Van Hise said.
The school district has had plenty of experience with the SRO, he said. The Class III police officer is a new position, and it is defined by law. The Class III police officer is not in school to be a disciplinarian, but to protect the students and staff, he said.
“It’s a security feature,” Van Hise said.
Superintendent of Schools Ross Kasun said the SRO and the Class III police officers have different roles and responsibilities, but what they have in common is to be a visible deterrent to intruders and to ensure students and staff are safe.
“With the addition of the school resource officer and the Class III police officers, we have intensified our focus on safety and security efforts to make certain that students and staff are safe,” Kasun said.