OFFICER WORKS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

Sheriff Gene Starks asked the Franklin City Commission Monday night
to consider providing funding to help cover the cost of a school
resource officer in the Simpson County School System.

A school resource officer works with the school system in handling
situations with students, including those that may involve criminal
offenses. The officer also works with students on other matters,
such as drugs and alcohol and other problems they may be having.

In the local school system, the school resource officer is available
for all five schools but works mainly with the older children at the
middle and high schools. The position is separate from the DARE
anti-drug use program currently conducted in the local school system
by two members of the Franklin Police Department.

Starks is proposing that the approximate $40,000 cost of providing a
resource officer for the next school year be divided between the
city, county, the local school system and the sheriff's office.

Starks proposes that each entity provide $10,000 in funding. He said
$40,000 would cover the salary and other costs associated with the
school resource officer position.

Starks said a question asked of the sheriff's candidates at a recent
political forum related to the school resource officer should have
been presented to the mayor and county judge/executive.

"The school resource officer is a community project," Starks said.
"The school resource officer is not just a deputy sheriff, he's an
officer. He could be a city or state police officer."

Starks said the sheriff's department started providing a school
resource officer using grant funds to cover the associated costs
when the program began in the mid 1990s.

Starks also said that the sheriff's office is funded through fees
and is restricted on what it can and fund.

He said grants for the program are no longer available and is
"fearful" that the program will be eliminated locally if funding is
not provided.

The program started here in the wake of shootings at various schools
across the country. Deputy Sheriff Eric Vaughn has served as the
local school resource officer for the past three years.

"I strongly support the program. The school system needs it," Starks said.

"I believe support for the four-way split to provide the funding is
there," Mayor Jim Brown said.

Brown said he has spoken with County Judge/Executive Jim Henderson
about the issue and also discussed the matter with Simpson County
Schools Superintendent Jim Flynn just prior to Monday night's meeting.

No formal action was taken by the City Commission.

Work is underway on the city's fiscal year 2006-07 budget. The new
fiscal year begins July 1.

Funding for the school resource officer position is needed by Aug.
1. The next school year starts in early August.

Starks also noted that for now funding for the school resource
officer "would be on a year-to-year basis."