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Boys and Girls Club recognized for 20 years of service
Editor’s Note: In last week’s issue, this article was accidentally cut off and only contained the first three paragraphs. Here is the rest of that story.
Council members approved City Manager Richard Whitten to enter an interlocal agreement with Weimar ISD to provide the school district with a School Resource Officer at the Sept. 12 city council meeting.
After years of school shootings and the increase in security measures taken by schools to prevent or minimize risk, a school Marshal program was introduced in 2013, requiring 80 hours of training and registration with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Given the limitations of these guardians and marshals however, who are not peace officers and have limited powers, the School Resource Officer position was recommended to council and Weimar ISD.
Weimar Police Chief Mark Jameson spoke highly of the initiative, telling council of his own personal experience working as a SRO, and how it provides a pipeline between school districts and police departments, serving as a “liaison” with the school district.
“When I was an SRO, I went to investigations and worked and helped outside of school,” said Jameson. “That is a benefit to the city. It reduces responses to school. We do not respond to the school a whole lot, but we do go to the school, and it would reduce that if the SRO serves as a liaison with the school district, because he would work in partnership with the existing school team but would also do different things with the school.”
Jameson highlights that the campuses across Weimar ISD currently do not have an officer on sight every day. He feels that does not create a safe environment for those who have volunteered to be protectors, not police officers, and emphasizes how it would simply be better to have an officer on campus.
“We do not have a police officer on campus every day,” said Jameson. “I do not think that creates the safeness for the people that have volunteered to step up and do those things, but it will be better if an officer is there on campus. It bridges the gap between youth and law enforcement. That’s the type of impact officers can have there, and we will get into the benefits of that labor. But they serve as role models for students. They help to create a safer educational environment. And that is all that matters; that we provide a safe environment for our kids that are in school and can work in cooperation with the existing security teams.”
The salary range for one of these officers varies according to Jameson, who was unable to give a specific number. He speculates that the salary range could be anywhere from the high $70,000s to $86,000 or less, but the school would only be responsible for 80% of that salary, while the police department would pay the remaining 20%.
“It is a range,” said Jameson. “Until we are able to hire that person, I do not really know what that what that salary is going to be, but to give you the range, the total benefits, everything, retirement, all that stuff is, on the low end is $79,000 and on the high end is $86,000. now remember, it’s an 80/20 rule so the school is going to pay 80% so what is 80% of those the school would be responsible for $63,000 to $69,000. The 20% t would only cost us $15,000 to $17,500 a year to add another employee.”
A proclamation was made recognizing the Boys and Girls Clubs of Champion Valley for their work across Colorado County and Weimar for 20 years.
Mayor Milton R. Koeller, read the proclamation recognizing the organization for their dedication to Weimar and beyond, reaching more than “1,000 young people” annually.
The proclamation highlighted the work the Boys and Girls club has done over the past two decades, offering tutoring education, delinquency prevention, professional youth services and more to help students reach “their full potential.”“The young people of Weimar are tomorrow’s leaders,” said Koeller. “The Boys and Girls Club are places where great futures start, becoming positive and productive citizens. The Boys and Girls Club organizations in our state help ensure that our young people keep off the streets, offering them a safe and supportive place to go, and providing them with quality programs and whereas Boys and Girls Club of champion Valley will celebrate 20 years of helping kids and the community grow into tomorrow’s leaders.”
