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Washington - U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (NY-26) today announced that the towns of Saugerties and Ulster have been awarded COPS in Schools grants of $125,000 and $116,458 respectively. The grants will allow the towns' police departments to place School Resource Officers into local schools.
"Chief (Gregory) Hulbert worked closely with our Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brenda Peters to obtain this grant," said Michael Singleton, Superintendent of Saugerties Schools. "It's a wonderful thing for the school district and the community and will allow our police officer to work cooperatively with staff and be available to our students. We appreciate Congressman Hinchey's ongoing commitment to the community. He is a great asset."
Chief Paul Watzka of the Town of Ulster Police Department said, "Putting an officer in our schools on a full time basis will greatly benefit the community and the children of our community."
School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement officers who become permanently assigned to a school or school system. Their primary role is to safeguard students by providing a law enforcement presence on campus. Many SROs also teach crime prevention and substance abuse classes, serve as coaches, monitor and counsel troubled students, and ultimately build respect and understanding between law enforcement and students. The grant pays for part of the salary and benefits of the officer over three years. COPS also provides school safety training for the officer and a school administrator.
The Saugerties SRO will be based at Saugerties High School, but will also spend time at other sites throughout the school district. The Ulster SRO will split time between Miller Middle School, Crosby Elementary, and Chambers Elementary. |
