TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Preliminary and unofficial results from a Westwood Regional School District survey on hiring special law enforcement officers — known as SLEOs — for each of six district schools shows that most parents and educators appear to favor their hiring, said the school board president at the Dec. 16 meeting, at Hurley Theatre.
However, final survey results were due after Dec. 21, the survey deadline that falls after press time for this issue.
School Board President Frank Romano III told parents Dec. 16 that a five-question survey, sent via SurveyMonkey, was “to get a sense” of where the public stands on hiring armed security for schools.
He said he would email out final survey results and post them on the district website.
He also defended the survey’s integrity, and the board’s transparency, after a half-dozen parents spoke up with critical remarks on both.
And he apologized for sending the survey out on the anniversary of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, where a lone gunman killed 26, including 20 children, on Dec. 14, 2012.
Romano said it was his decision to email the survey then, and that the date was coincidental rather than intentional.
Acting superintendent Jill Mortimer explained that she recently met with Westwood and Washington Township police chiefs, mayors, the BOE president and vice president, and council presidents to discuss possibly hiring Class III officers.
Westwood trustee Michael Pontillo is Westwood’s police chief. As he would be in charge of any SLEOs from the Westwood force, he asked that his name not be on the SLEO III survey email and said he would not participate in hypothetical discussion and voting on a SLEO III.
Outgoing trustee Joseph Abou-Daoud said that he preferred not to have his name on the letter — and said the email was sent without being discussed by the board. He said he believed the email should have come from the superintendent or head of security,
Abou-Daoud said he believed more should have been done to understand what the public wants for school security.
Outgoing trustee Andrew Gerstmayr urged more public forums for soliciting general public comment.
Mortimer noted SROs are full-time police officers with full salary and benefits; SLEOs II are short-term employees, often a younger officer; and SLEOs III are retired officers under age 65 with full police powers but no benefits needed as SLEOs get benefits as retired officers.
She said the district has one SRO.
And she said a districtwide independent security audit was underway and she would ask the security consultant to make a public presentation on findings.
Mortimer said SLEO IIIs appear to be “the most cost effective way” to have an officer in the schools. She estimated SLEO IIIs in each school would cost a combined annual $300,000, out of the district’s $62 million annual budget.
Romano said the $300,000 figure was a “rough approximation” and he preferred a final budget number to come from Business Administrator Keith Rosado, who was absent from the meeting.
Romano called the initial dialogue a “preliminary discussion” with much more to follow.
New Jersey School Boards Association explains the Class III SLEO has additional qualifications:
- Must be retired from their agency in good standing; must be appointed yearly and must be less than 65 years of age (can only be reappointed up to age 65).
- Must pass a psychological and medical exam and have a doctor complete a medical certification form.
- Must pass a drug test pursuant to the Attorney General’s law enforcement drug testing policy.
- Must complete school resource officer training within 12 months of being appointed and conform to Attorney General’s mandatory in-service and agency training requirements.
- Must be a uniformed officer, displaying the Special Law Enforcement Officer Class III patch provided by the Police Training Commission.
The responsibilities of the Class III SLEO are dictated by the chief of police but are often mutually agreed upon in consultation with the superintendent of schools before these officers are deployed in the school.
Early numbers
Romano said the surveys provide a lot of data to digest and noted that he was “more interested in the comments that are made” by parents, administrators and teachers who take the survey.
Five days before the Dec. 21 deadline, Romano offered preliminary results.
As of Dec. 14, he said, 80% of parents responding to the questionnaire had agreed or strongly agreed that a SLEO III should be at the high school/pre-school site; 74% of parents agreed or strongly agreed a SLEO III was needed at the middle school; and 63% of teachers/administrators agree or strongly agree that a SLEO III is needed at each elementary school.
In its survey introduction, the board noted it set six goals this year, including one that included commissioning the administration to facilitate an external safety and security audit/study.
The board’s goal included:
- A review of all safety and security plans, implementations, materials, and trainings
- A security evaluation that includes physical plant visits/reviews.
- Recommendations for next steps, which include the feasibility of Class III Special Law Enforcement Officers.