School district plans to have in-house police department

The Plum Borough school board on Tuesday night voted to take the first steps toward creating an in-district police department.

First, school directors voted to give Superintendent Brendan Hyland the authority to find qualified school police officers and directed the district solicitor to petition the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County to approve the plan to have armed officers.

Then, they voted to authorize Plum school police officers who have been certified in firearms use by Pennsylvania and who are approved by the board to carry firearms when they are in a school.

Before the votes, Mr. Hylandsaid the decision to create the in-house police department was given “a great deal of thoughtful reflection and consideration.”

“Unfortunately, our world is changing, and there have been far too many senseless tragedies in schools, where parents and communities are forced to ask, what else they could have done to keep their students safe,” he said. “We don’t want to ask those same questions in Plum.”

School director Vicky Roessler, head of the board’s safe and supportive school committee, read a statement before the second vote.

“Tonight we are voting on creating a school police force because we as a board are taking safety seriously,” Ms. Roessler said. “We, as a board along with Dr. Hyland and his team, are working together with Plum council, the mayor, the police chief and the borough manager to create a model of safety that is second to none.”

School director Jim Rogers said he has worked with numerous companies, school districts and college campuses over the years.

“I’ve never liked the idea of an armed force … on campus,” he said at the meeting. “I am also a realist and a pragmatist.

“The society we live in today has no respect for the sanctity of life, be it abortions or be it school shootings,” Mr. Rogers said. “Because of that, I am going to put my objections aside and vote for this.”

School director Angela Anderson was absent.

Ms. Roessler said the district included $300,000 in its 2018-2019 budget for safety, of which $200,000 will be used for the police officers.

She said she does not believe the officers will have been hired by the beginning of the school year.

Ms. Roessler said the district will hire a police chief, and one armed officer for each building, and also will retain its current school resource police officer, a Plum Boroughofficer.

Mr. Hyland said he will hire a supervisor first who will assist in the hiring of the other officers.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, the school board voted to fire physical education teacher Mark Garvey. Mr. Hyland would not give a reason for the firing.