Crime & Safety
Kirkwood Schools Will Add School Resource Officers
The Kirkwood Board of Education approved hiring two more school resource officers from the Kirkwood Police Department.
Kirkwood School District will be adding two school resource officers (SRO) from the Kirkwood Police Department beginning in the 2013-2014 school year.
The Kirkwood Board of Education approved the hiring at the March meeting. The school district currently has two full-time SROs covering nine attendance areas, Superintendent Tom Williams said at the meeting.
"It goes along with some of our other efforts to improve safety and security," Williams said. He added recent projects include improving entrances at Tillman and Westchester Elementary Schools, digital radios for buildings, and ALICE Active Shooter training.
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Cost for the additional hires would be split with the City of Kirkwood 75 percent and 25 percent.
Williams said Police Chief Jack Plummer chooses officers from the Kirkwood force for the SRO position and the school district selects from there.
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"They have to be people who really want to work with children and be in schools," Williams added. "That's one of the things the chief really tries to identify in his officers."
The additional SROs would begin their assignment in the school district this fall.
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