Riverhead schools to post armed officers this fall
Under the school district’s plan, one officer initially will be posted at Riverhead High School, the other at Riverhead Middle School. Credit: John Roca
Starting this fall, the Riverhead school district will post armed school resource officers at its high school and middle school, the district has announced.
The district has not yet announced costs of the initiative, but a district spokesman, Ron Edelson, said 75% of the first-year expense would be carried by Riverhead Town, and the remainder by the district. Thereafter, half the total costs will be borne by the district.
Resource officers, or SROs as they are known, are typically regular police authorized to carry sidearms. A recent Newsday analysis found at least 20 districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties already employed armed guards in schools or planned to do so.
Not all armed personnel are police officers, however. Under Riverhead's plan, officers will be employees of the town police department, with one assigned to Riverhead High School, the other to Riverhead Middle School.
Officers will work both inside schools and outside on patrol, working five days a week. Along with duties related to security such as surveillance, Riverhead's SROs will instruct specialized classes in subjects such as crime prevention and drug and alcohol education, according to district representatives.
"The SROs will enhance the safety and security at these two buildings, while also serving as helpful resources for our students and their families, providing educational opportunities, and enhancing the relationships of students and the community with law enforcement," stated a letter issued Wednesday by Cheryl Pedisich, the district's interim superintendent.
The letter noted that assigned officers are familiar to students because they previously were involved in a Council for Unity class. Officer Eric Cohen will be assigned primarily to the high school and officer Kaley Castantine primarily to the middle school, according to a draft document.
Approval of the new security arrangement by Riverhead's school board Tuesday marks the district's second effort to assign officers to schools. A similar program was tried several years ago but dropped due to fiscal constraints.
A 13-page draft contract between the district and town spells out details of the plan:
- SROs will provide security and surveillance in the areas assigned, "note and report irregularities, dangerous practices and conditions, accidents, fires" and other incidents requiring policing or other action that affect the health and welfare of students and school personnel.
- Officers may be required to visit other school buildings.
- SROs will take law enforcement action against intruders and unwanted visitors who appear in schools and at school functions to the extent authorized by law.
- SROs will assist the district's security director in enforcing child custody orders and domestic violence restraining orders.
The contract also notes the resource officers will adhere to school board policies should it become necessary to interview students. Normally, interviews would not include questions regarding subjects such as students' immigration status or perceived race or nationality. Officers will not participate in student searches conducted by school officials.
Pedisich said in her letter, "The SROs are not meant to be school disciplinarians, as student discipline is a school responsibility. Similarly, SROs will not have access to student lockers or personal belongings."
John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.
