Police officers will soon be stationed in at least 15 midstate schools
(Harrisburg) — At least 15 midstate schools will have a police officer patrolling campus through a state grant program.
Lebanon, Gettysburg, and Greencastle-Antrim schools are among the winners of the state grant program that is handing out nearly $4 million for school resource officers.
The list also includes Cumberland Valley School District in Cumberland County.
The map above shows new grantees as part of the state’s program.
Superintendent Frederick Withum says the district was pursuing putting a police officer in the halls even before the state program came around.
“We actually have more people here than you find in some of our small local municipalities in the area. Local municipalities that have their own police department, that have their own fire department, that have their own ambulance squad,” he says.
Withum says the officer will not only provide a level of safety, but will serve as an important bridge between administrators and students.
“By having someone who has a different relationship with the students from the law enforcement side can only help bring another level of safety to our kids,” adds Withum.
A single school in Dauphin County was awarded state money: the Jewish-affiliated Silver Academy in Harrisburg.
“There’s a very real possibility that a religiously motivated intruder or someone who is angry at something Israel has done could enter our community and take it out on innocent people here,” saysBen Chadwell, its director of development.
“Mitigating any kind of risk that religiously motivated armed intrusion, or placement of an IED or some sort of terrorist act, could happen,” sayas Chadwell.
“The reality is that it could happen.”
The above map shows grantees that are receiving the second year of a two year grant to station a police officer in schools.
Chadwell says he isn’t sure if Silver Academy’s officer will carry a gun, but at Cumberland Valley, the officer will be armed.
Both schools say having an officer in schools will put parents and students at ease.
The state grants are worth as much as $60,000 a year, with an option for a second year of funding.
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