County Commission to Vote on Adding SRO's

Published January 10, 2013

UPDATE: The Williamson County Commission voted January 14 to approve a resolution that would fund School Resource Officers at 24 schools to include all elementary schools and Middle College High. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long has said he will work as quickly as possible to find qualified officers to fill the SRO positions.

On Monday, the Commission also voted in favor of a resolution for the funding of a national safety expert to visit WCS campuses to evaluate the district's safety plans and make suggestions for improvement.

January 10, 2013

The Williamson County Commission will vote Monday, January 14 on whether to approve funding for School Resource Officers (SRO's) at 24 schools to include all elementary schools and Middle College High. If approved, all WCS schools will have SRO's on duty throughout the school day.

This comes in response to last month's deadly school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. WCS Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney has been working closely with county leaders and law enforcement officials to review existing policies and procedures regarding school safety.

According to Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long, the Sheriff's Department will work as quickly as possible to find qualified officers to fill the SRO positions. In the meantime, police leaders representing all municipalities have committed to increased presence at the schools.

In addition, WCS plans to contract with a national safety expert to evaluate the district's safety plans and procedures. The expert will tour school buildings during the last week of January and provide the district feedback and guidance on safety initiatives.