Last September, the town of Signal Mountain chose to once again fund its own school resource officer for the local middle-high school. During a Town Council meeting on Sept. 12, one resident called for officials to make a greater effort to obtain an SRO from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Signal Mountain Middle/High School has been at the top of the list of institutions eligible to receive an officer for at least the last two years, officials have said.
With the Sheriff's Office awaiting news of a potential grant that could allow the county to supply as many as six schools with an officer, Claire Gresinger, a Signal Mountain local and retired teacher said the Town Council needs to be more proactive about reminding the county of the town's need for an SRO.
"Just being on the list is not going to give us an SRO without some communication from this council to the school's superintendent and sheriff's department," Griesinger told council members during the Sept. 12 meeting, emphasizing that the school is up against eight other schools without a county-provided SRO. "The council needs to contact the department of education and the sheriff's department now and tell them that we do not want to fund our own officer."
While Griesinger said the town's current officer assigned to the school is doing a "fine job," she pointed out that the Signal Mountain Police Department-provided officer is costing taxpayers approximately $60,000 a year.
"I, for one, would like to see the town have that $60,000 a year available for other needs," she said.
In response to Griesinger's request, councilmembers Chris Howley and Robert Spalding said they had both been in contact with officials about the grant.
Howley said he called the Sheriff's Office twice in April and once last year and was told the school remained in the same position on the list it had occupied for the last two or three years. Spalding added that he has had monthly contact with the sheriff, and said until the county gets the grant, "it's all hypothetical."
"In the meantime, the town seems like they're more than doing their due diligence for this," Spalding said.
While Howley also pointed out that the Signal Mountain Police Department has managed the school very well, Griesinger said the issue is more about being mindful of taxpayer dollars.
"Just giving up on the possibility of saving the taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars over the years is not being a good steward of taxpayer money," Griesinger said.
Howley, however, said he feels "very strongly" that a local officer be placed in the school because he or she is more familiar with the children and their families.
"I also think $60,000 is a very, very small price to protect the number of people and the kids and families that are out there," Howley said. "That's my opinion, and I'm going to stick with it."
Signal Mountain Police Chief Mike Williams also spoke up during the meeting, pointing out that with a student population of approximately 1,300, the middle-high school is too big for just one SRO. When the officer has to oversee traffic duties or is needed in court, he or she is forced to leave the school unprotected, Williams explained. The chief said he hopes to see an SRO sent in from the Sheriff's Office in addition to the one funded by the town.
"It would be the best of both worlds," Williams said.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.