Crime & Safety

No Student Resource Officers In Rocky Hill Schools For Now

Consultant working with Schools and Police to make better use of security resources.


After lengthy discussions between Superintendent of Schools Mark Zito, Chief of Police Michael Custer and Town Manager Barbara Gilbert, the decision was made to not pay for or put student resource officers in Rocky Hill Schools for the 2013-2014 school year. 

"It was a tough budget but it's always tough," Rocky Hill Town Manager Barbara Gilbert said. "When it came to the Board of Education budget, we decided to take out the SROs but leave in the sprinkler system at West End Hill."

Zito said he was pleased the sprinkler system remained in the budget.

"I was very happy the sprinkler project remained in there," Zito said. "It was a much-needed upgrade for West Hill School. 

After the shootings in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012, many schools jumped in to add security either through more police presence or by placing Student Resource Officers (SROs) in schools, mostly high schools and middle schools. 

In neighboring Berlin, there is a full-time SRO at Berlin High School that pre-dated the Sandy Hook tragedy. 

Rocky Hill hired a consultant who told the town how to better utilize its resources. Since Sandy Hook, the Rocky Hill Police Dept. has been covering more time at the schools, especially during the drop-off and pick-up of students. This has taxed the force and also made the department dole out overtime. 

Nobody knew if the SRO issue would be re-visited in the future but it is possible. 


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