Poqouson — POQUOSON, Va. (WVEC0 -- The City of Poquoson is adding school resource officers to their high school and middle school!
The city approved their 2019 fiscal year budget on Monday, and school safety was a major focus.
"You never know what's going to happen, and I don't think we can never over or under prepare for anything,” said city councilman Thomas Canella II.
Canella knows what it’s like for high school students nowadays at only 21-years-old. It was just a few years ago that he was attending class at Poqouson High School. He said it’s about time they get a school resource officer.
"It's something I've been thinking about really when I started campaigning," said Canella.
By raising the real estate tax by one cent, it will create an additional $159,000. The city also applied for a $64,000 grant. That money would provide a resource officer at the high school, as well as the middle school starting in the fall.
"I think it’s appropriate, pretty much every other locality has one. We were a little bit behind the cusp there," said Canella. "These officers help teach classes. They build relationships between the department, and the school system, and the kids, and our police department."
One parent said she's okay with the decision, but she doesn't know if it’s necessary.
"I mean, with everything going on in the climate, I think that people are worried, but I'm on the fence about it. I feel the schools do a lot now to see who enters or exits the school,” said Ruehl.
Ruehl also said there have been incidents in the past where she thought a resource officer could have been helpful.
“We get the emails a lot of times that talk about a threatening note had been written in the bathroom by a student. And those types of things a resource officer could handle, as opposed to the administration being the front-runner,” said Ruehl.
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