Middle Twp. Discusses School Safety

COURT HOUSE – One of the items on Middle Township Committee’s work session agenda March 5 concerned the potential hiring of a Class III officer for the middle school. The discussion resulted from other issues related to school safety in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., shooting. 
The Special Law Enforcement Officer III (SLEO III) law was signed by the governor in December 2016. It allows school districts to hire retired police officers under the age of 65 who meet certain other requirements as additional security in the state’s schools.
The officers have all the training and experience of police officers, and they can be armed as long as they maintain the requirements of their permits. Class III officers would be under the direction of the local chief of police.
Police Chief Christopher Leusner told the committee that finding retired officers to fill such positions is difficult. “A lot of retired officers are looking to do something different with their lives,” Leusner said. He also added that those interested in such security work are in high demand.
Leusner liked the potential of Class III officers involved in school security. Unlike Class II officers, who are often young and seeking experience to land a regular position as a police officer, Class III officers are veterans who bring extensive experience to the task.
Leusner gained approval to move ahead with advertising in order to gauge the potential pool for such a position.
While discussing this agenda item, Leusner told the committee that Middle Township “is in a good place” with regard to school security.
He highlighted the active shooter training regimen that has been ongoing since 2006. He also pointed to the state-of-the-art simulator now in use at the police academy which helps officers train for the kind of adrenalin-charged environment posed by an active-shooter situation.
In addition to discussing the critical issues of response to a threatening situation, Leusner also emphasized the many programs his department has initiated, aimed at preventing violent confrontation in a township school.
“We have implemented TIP411,” Leusner said. He explained that this system allows anyone, including students, to alert police anonymously when they feel someone is likely to be a threat, as students are often the most aware of potential threats from another student or former student.
“When we look at situations like Parkland,” he said, “We see that many warning signs were missed.” Leusner wants people to feel that they can alert police and that police will investigate. “We take any reports seriously,” he said.
Leusner also spoke of training for teachers to spot warning signs of potential violence.
Committee member Jeffrey DeVico, himself a retired officer, also spoke of the many steps the schools have taken to increase physical security and control access to their buildings.
Leusner emphasized the need for strong programs aimed at preventing violence, while he also described Middle Township Police Department as a police force trained and ready to respond if an incident does occur.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.