Proposal aims to keep police in schools
Sandpoint City Police Officers Spencer Smith and Ryan Root with Chief Corey Coon were at Sagle Elementary to help hand out Reading with Lucky puppies to all Sagle first-graders. The event was one of many activities the department conducts with local schools.
(Photo courtesy SAGLE ELEMENTARY)
SANDPOINT — Chief Corey Coon encouraged the city council to continue the school resource officer agreement with Lake Pend Oreille School District.
Coon was the first officer to participate in the program. The program, which now includes two officers, brings a positive impact to both students and the schools.
“So the job is to be mentors with the kids, be educators and to be a police officer at the same time and take on a support role,” said Coon. “We throw a lot at our resource officers in the environment and they do an outstanding job in that role.”
The city would provide two full-time equivalent police officers with the school district providing 60% of the annual salary. The agreement would expire June, 14 2024.
The resource officers have supported Sandpoint High School, Lake Pend Oreille High School, the middle school, and Washington, Farmin Stidwell and Kootenai elementaries. Coon said the officers are responsible for just under 3,000 students.
Councilmember Andy Groat spoke as a parent and said that having police at school has given him a great sense of security knowing that officers are building relationships with kids.
“It’s that neighborhood police officer that we want in our community,” he said.
The proposal resolution was only presented to the city council and no motion was made.