Deal brings full-time police officer to Saline High School
The Saline Area Schools and Pittsfield Township have approved a contract that will provide a full-time Pittsfield Township police officer at Saline High School
The school will pay half the cost of hiring the officer — or about $47,500 per year — during the three-year contract, as well as 100 percent of the overtime costs that involve the school activities or events, but these charges must be authorized by school administration except in the case of emergencies. The total annual cost of this senior-level police officer is $95,172.
If a less senior officer is chosen for the assignment, the cost might be less, the contract states.
The saline school board approved the contract Tuesday night.
The contract can be terminated with or without cause with a 60-day notice to either party and begins Aug. 29 and ends June 30, 2014.
The school will still have one security guard, said Scot Graden, superintendent of schools. The cost of the Pittsfield police officer will come from the general fund, but parking fees at the high school have been increased by $15 to help offset the cost.
“The school will pay the township 50 percent of the actual cost of the officer, including wages, fringe benefits, worker’s compensation, social security, optical, pension and OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits),” the contract states.
Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.
Comments
foolonthehill
Thu, Oct 6, 2011 : 9:13 p.m.
In the long run, having an engaging, motivated and personable officer assigned to the school can have lasting benefits. These include; less thefts and other problems at school, better police-student relations which lead to better flow of information about drug dealing and other crimes in the schools, establishing rapport between students and the officer where the students feel comfortable sharing concerns and seeking help to resolve the concerns. I would wager that in the short time the program has been in effect that there has already been very positive impacts on at least one family that reached out to the officer for help. I see this as a great investment in the future our our schools, our community and our police department. How about a followup article on the chosen officer? It would be good to know who he is and what he plans to bring to the school as a value-added. FoolOnTheHill
4x4Saline
Tue, Jul 5, 2011 : 11:08 a.m.
This is just unbelievable. Teachers and staff are losing their jobs and getting pink-slipped, yet the Board hires a full-time police officer. Weren't the 3 security officers enough? And Ben Williams wonders why MORALE is down at the high school. When you have a good system in place, why is it necessary to upset the apple-cart AT THE TAXPAYERS' expense???
rosewater
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 3:31 a.m.
SAS you just never get the message, do you? Do with less or go without... but sure enough, you "found" $47,500+ to pay half the cost of hiring a full time Pittsfield police officer at the high school. Don't bother asking this taxpayer for more money because the answer will be NO. I am offended and appalled at your spending habits.
Plubius
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 1:28 p.m.
What an incredible waste of money. There were no security officers, or police, at my high school and that was never a problem. Stopping spending money on reinforcing a police-state model in our children's minds and instead spend it on education!
realdealeducator
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
I agree. How about the administration step out of their centrally located high school offices and try patrolling the hallways and cafeteria more often. For such a huge campus I'm amazed that the offices are not more strategically located around the school..poor planning. Are there surveillance cameras? Saline seems kinda squeaky clean for such pricey protection.
salinemom2712
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
Where is the money really coming from to pay $47,500 for a cop? Are we supposed to believe that 3,167 parking permits, at a $15 increase, will be sold? Really? If EVERY kid in the junior and senior class bought a permit that would only be $12,000, and I doubt if every kid has a permit. First we hear that a "deficient" budget is passed, and then we start hearing about continued irresponsible spending. If there is no money, there should be no spending. At least that's how it works at my house. So much for transparency from SAS.
U2er
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 11:39 a.m.
I think its a great idea. Police probably have to send a car to patrol the school regularly anyway so having someone on site already who can become a fixture at the school makes sense and lets the other police focus efforts elsewhere. Win-win. Also bet that the overwhelming majority of the police department's time is spent on the east side of the township where the apartments are and crime is higher. We have a great police department.
Slingshot
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 3:09 a.m.
Great idea. Studies show that schools are safer, kids more comfortable, and there is far less bullying when a community safety officer is assigned to a school. Progressive thinking at its finest. Mandy kids find the officer to be a great mentor and counselor as well. Sheriff's department provides similar safety officers to high schools elsewhere in the county so this is very similar and a good idea. Also like the creative idea of using parking fees to offset the cost. There is always the no-cost bus option, but for $15 a year, please. Well worth having a safer high school like the other high schools do in the county for $15 bucks. Kudos.
the leprachaun
Sun, Jul 3, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.
They are adding the $15 bucks on top of the $125 fee to park at shs
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 4:48 a.m.
People can't even cross the street safely anymore in eastern Pittsfield, but a school gets a full-time cop for half-price. We see the priority of the board.
Slingshot
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 3:20 a.m.
Make that "many" kids. Also add that counter to the above poster Dr "Mandy" and Scot Graden are doing great work during tough times. Not an easy job Scot has making cuts to staff and teachers when the governor isn't giving us the money we need to pay for a proper education. Now we even have EMU laying off people. Lets get priorities straight.
ksr48
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
@Basic Bob: Man, dude. So much anger for a school wanting to have an officer on duty to keep it safe. Do you even know if those other schools have asked for something like this? Probably not. Quite a leap your making there, and it also seems you have a beef with the police. Seems also that the community decided they had enough of the divisiveness that the last board brought. Please keep that away.
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 30, 2011 : 12:47 a.m.
Great, Saline High School "needs" a police officer full-time, but is willing to pay half of the cost by increasing parking fees. Who in their right mind would agree to paying for the other half? I know, the Harvest PTA. Say what you want about former board members (I'm sure you will), but the decisions made by Dr. Grewal and her neighbors for the exclusive benefit of their own selves (not to mention the parasitic relationship with the police union) continue to astound me. Do the police have an officer at Roberto Clemente or Carpenter Schools? Now what would be different, let's see.... I know, the wrong side of the Ann Arbor RR tracks. What do police do when an east side Pittsfield resident on foot is run down in the middle of the night? Can you believe not even a mention in the township police blotter, or an expression of sympathy? But they are on the lookout for troublesome teens at SHS so certain members of the community feel safer. This is utter nonsense.