Sheriff to provide FRHC school resource officer

The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department and Flat Rock-Hawcreek Schools are in negotiations to put a full-time armed deputy in the schools as a school resource officer.

At last week's Bartholomew County Council work session, a contingent from Hope met with the council to discuss the proposal.

Sheriff Matt Myers said that he had already put in his proposed budget for next year a position for a school resource officer in Hope. The position would be partially funded by a state grant that the school district received.

FRHC School Board President Pat Walters said that the district, with just below 900 students, qualified for a grant of about $30,000 to add the full-time officer. He said that the schools first talked with the Hope Police Department about taking over the role, but ultimately it will fall to the sheriff's department.

The schools currently have a part-time officer working about 29 hours a week.

"That leaves a good part of the day empty and we want to seek the opportunity to put in a full time officer," Walters said.

"Four years ago, when I ran for the board, if you had told me that I would be asking for money or for approval to put somebody in the building with a hand gun on them at all times, I would have told you that you were crazy. In this day and age, we have no choice."

Walter said that recent school shootings have heightened his concerns for school safety. For example, the night of a recent school shooting in Florida, he went to an event at the Hope schools. As he went to use his badge to gain entrance, a student opened the door for him -- not knowing whether Walters was even allowed in the building or what his intentions were.

Town Council President Ohmer Miller and Councilwoman Nellie Meek appeared before the council to express their support, as well as Town Marshal Matt Tallent and Hope Town Manager J.T. Doane.

"We want to make sure that we have a school resource officer," Doane said. "Sadly we are in a day that they are (needed) in our schools."

Myers said that the department had been working with the town and the schools to provide such an officer.

"They all echo that they want coverage, they want something to happen there to have an SRO (school resource officer) and they are supportive of the sheriff's office due to us having more resources and coverage to go ahead and try to get it through the sheriff's office. Not taking anything away from Hope PD."

Myers said that the officer would be a full-time merit deputy who could be used for other activities, when school is not in session of when not needed for school events. The deputy's schedule would flex with school hours to provide coverage after normal school hours and the department would work with Hope police to provide that sort of coverage, Myers said.

Walters said that the exact details of the payments are still being worked out.