PEWAUKEE POLICE PROPOSE PUTTING OFFICER AT SCHOOLS

Pewaukee could be the next school district to add a police officer to its
buildings if Village Police Chief Ed Baumann has his way.

Baumann is asking school officials to approve an application for a federal
grant that would pay much of the cost for an officer to serve the
district's four schools, which share a campus on Lake St.

In Waukesha County, New Berlin and Muskego already have had officers
stationed in their schools and Waukesha is planning to join them this fall.

"I think it's a great idea," Baumann said. "We're up there for everything
from smoking to truancy to parking tickets to everything that takes place
in normal school activities."

Only last week the School Board expelled five students for violations of
its "alcohol and other drugs" policy, said Pewaukee Superintendent Gary
Amoroso, who declined to elaborate on the reasons for the expulsions.

The policy prohibits use or possession of alcohol, drugs, drug
paraphernalia or their look-alikes on school campus.

Amoroso said district administrators and School Board members have yet to
consider Baumann's proposal. It is scheduled to be discussed at the board's
meeting 7 p.m. Monday in the Asa Clark Middle School library.

Federal COPS in School grants pay up to $125,000 for three years to place a
police officer in a school. Local officials have to come up with any
leftover costs for salaries and benefits during those three years, plus
pledge to pay the full cost to keep the officer on for at least a fourth year.

School Board members know little about the proposal, except that it will be
first discussed next week, board President Mary Beth Steffens said.

But she said she doesn't think the schools necessarily require police presence.

"That's not to say we don't want to work collaboratively with the police
when there are issues," Steffens said. "But, on the daily basis, we don't
have that many problems at the high school."