Schools will keep second resource officer

Vancouver Public Schools will continue to pay for a second officer to patrol the district’s two high schools that are within city limits.

Fort Vancouver High School and Hudson’s Bay High School had shared a school resource officer, but a second officer was temporarily assigned when school resumed in January following the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.

Under an agreement approved Monday by the Vancouver City Council, the Vancouver Police Department will continue to have a second officer through the remainder of the current contract, which expires in June.

The school resource officers “will work closely with school officials and administrators to develop a positive relationship with the community, students, parents and school officials,” according to a report from City Manager Eric Holmes to Mayor Tim Leavitt and councilors. “The police officers assigned to the Vancouver School District will be supervised by Vancouver Police and will be available to respond to critical incidents as needed.”

Having an officer at each Fort and Bay “creates the opportunities to reach more juveniles and improve relationships within the community,” Holmes wrote.

Evergreen Public Schools already has school resource officers — uniformed police officers — at all high schools, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office has resource officers at Skyview High School and Columbia River High School.

The city will bill the school district $221,365 for two resource officers for the 2013-2014 school year. As part of the annual contract, the police department will also provide services for all home football games, five home basketball games and four school dances.

For any other extracurricular assignments, the officer will receive overtime, calculated at one and one-half times his or her regular wage.

Stephanie Rice; 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.