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Date: 4/12/2023
SOUTHWICK — Select Board Chair Russell Fox on April 3 proposed adding a second school resource officer at Southwick-Tolland-Granville schools.
There is already one full-time police officer, funded by Southwick taxpayers, assigned to the district’s three-school campus in Southwick.
“I’ve been kicking around the idea of having another SRO after what happened in Tennessee,” Fox said, referring to the school shooting on March 27 in Nashville that left three children, all 9 years old, and three adults dead.
Police Chief Robert Landis told the board that one grant he had applied for to fund a new SRO wasn’t approved. However, he said he is continuing to the grant application process to secure funding.
Landis needed the board’s approval to continue seeking grants.
Fox and Select Board member Jason Perron said yes to Landis’ request. Select Board member Douglas Moglin was even more emphatic.
“I wish I could vote twice,” he said.
Fire Chief Richard Stefanowicz appeared before the board on April 3 to discuss how the department could fund its overtime budget, which is short about $50,000.
He said there were there were several factors that led to the shortfall, including the expansion of career staff, and administrative costs for training.
The board discussed several options including asking the town’s Finance Committee for a transfer or tapping the department’s stabilization account of approximately $100,000.
“We’re going to get your money, one way or the other,” Fox said. “We knew going to the paramedic level was going to be very costly, but it provides a very necessary service.”
He also said the department has been doing “a lot of things in the last couple of years that has been monumental.”
“This is one of those [situations] that even the best [budget] forecast couldn’t haven’t nailed it down as closely as we wanted it, too. But now we know,” Fox said.
It was decided to wait a couple of weeks to hear back from the Finance Committee and then decide which option works best: straight transfer or tapping Stabilizing Fund.
The board also approved keeping an old cruiser used by the Police Department, instead of selling it at auction. The cruiser will be used by officer details for construction projects around town, which are billed to the contractor by the department.