COOPERATION: CITY, CISD WORKING TOGETHER FOR SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICER, DRUG DOG

The City of Commerce and the Commerce ISD are not only looking at working
together for a drug dog, but a school resource officer as well.

The Commerce City Council held discussions on both topics at its meeting
Tuesday night.

Police Chief Kerry Crews said his department began talking about the need
for school resource officer (SRO) several years ago, but nothing was done
about it. About three years ago, the city tried to get grant funding for an
SRO, but those funds were always denied.

Crews said due to some issues at the school in the past year, Commerce ISD
and the city had begun to talk about going ahead and hiring a resource
officer. Although he did not elaborate about what the issues were, Crews
said the resource officer would be a liaison between the police department
and the school.

CISD would fund 75 percent of the officer's salary and the city would pay
the other 25 percent, even though the officer would be a city employee.

Crews said the SRO would deal with criminal matters only and not be
involved in disciplinary matters at the school.

CISD Superintendent Keith Boles was in attendance at the meeting and told
the Council that school board had brought in a resource officer from Wylie
to find out more about how one would operate.

"One of the things we realized as a school district is . the key to success
for this SRO position will be the person we choose for it," Boles said.

The officer would be armed and stationed at the high school, according to
Boles, although he would be used throughout the district.

The Council also heard from Sgt. Buddy Williams, the K-9 officer with the
Sulphur Springs Police Department. Williams told the Council that a dog
would be good not only for sniffing out drugs, but it can also be used for
officer safety in certain situations and some can even track lost children.