Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2006
Source: Franklin Favorite, The (KY)
Copyright: 2006 The Franklin Favorite
Contact:  http://www.franklinfavorite.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1976
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

OFFICER WORKS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

Sheriff Gene Starks asked the Franklin City Commission  Monday night 
to consider providing funding to help  cover the cost of a school 
resource officer in the  Simpson County School System.

A school resource officer works with the school system  in handling 
situations with students, including those  that may involve criminal 
offenses. The officer also  works with students on other matters, 
such as drugs and  alcohol and other problems they may be having.

In the local school system, the school resource officer  is available 
for all five schools but works mainly with  the older children at the 
middle and high schools. The  position is separate from the DARE 
anti-drug use  program currently conducted in the local school system 
by two members of the Franklin Police Department.

Starks is proposing that the approximate $40,000 cost  of providing a 
resource officer for the next school  year be divided between the 
city, county, the local  school system and the sheriff's office.

Starks proposes that each entity provide $10,000 in  funding. He said 
$40,000 would cover the salary and  other costs associated with the 
school resource officer  position.

Starks said a question asked of the sheriff's  candidates at a recent 
political forum related to the  school resource officer should have 
been presented to  the mayor and county judge/executive.

"The school resource officer is a community project,"  Starks said. 
"The school resource officer is not just a  deputy sheriff, he's an 
officer. He could be a city or  state police officer."

Starks said the sheriff's department started providing  a school 
resource officer using grant funds to cover  the associated costs 
when the program began in the mid  1990s.

Starks also said that the sheriff's office is funded  through fees 
and is restricted on what it can and fund.

He said grants for the program are no longer available  and is 
"fearful" that the program will be eliminated  locally if funding is 
not provided.

The program started here in the wake of shootings at  various schools 
across the country. Deputy Sheriff Eric  Vaughn has served as the 
local school resource officer  for the past three years.

"I strongly support the program. The school system  needs it," Starks said.

"I believe support for the four-way split to provide  the funding is 
there," Mayor Jim Brown said.

Brown said he has spoken with County Judge/Executive  Jim Henderson 
about the issue and also discussed the  matter with Simpson County 
Schools Superintendent Jim  Flynn just prior to Monday night's meeting.

No formal action was taken by the City Commission.

Work is underway on the city's fiscal year 2006-07  budget. The new 
fiscal year begins July 1.

Funding for the school resource officer position is  needed by Aug. 
1. The next school year starts in early  August.

Starks also noted that for now funding for the school  resource 
officer "would be on a year-to-year basis."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman