Police Officer Shortage Affects School Safety in Middle Tennessee
Image Credit: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A police officer shortage is affecting school safety in Middle Tennessee. Some schools will not have a dedicated resource officer when the new school year begins, which for some counties is next week.
It is the policy of Williamson County to have at least one school resource officer (SRO) in place at every school to maximize safety. According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s office, the county is short 10 SROs meaning five schools will not have a full-time deputy.
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The plan for now, according to the sheriff’s department, is to have deputies check in on those five schools at some point during each school day so that there will be an officer presence for at least part of the day.
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) in Davidson County are also facing SRO shortages. MNPS partners with Metro Nashville Police Department to provide an officer in every middle and high school but not all of those positions are currently filled.
MNPS policy does not provide for SROs at elementary schools. Instead, the district is considering hiring alternate safety positions to oversee school security in those schools. Full job descriptions and funding have not yet been finalized but would include making sure that best practices are being followed such as making sure that doors are always locked.
School districts in Wilson, Rutherford, Clarksville-Montgomery County, Robertson, and Cheatham County schools have a dedicated SRO at every school and presently have each position filled.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
