Lindale ISD Approves Campus Resource Officer
Posted/updated on: September 28, 2014 at 5:36 am
LINDALE — The Lindale ISD school board has approved a $193,464.00 contract with the Smith County Fire Marshals Office to carry the commissions of three school resource officers. The officers commissions are currently carried by Smith County Constable, Pct. 5, but that contract will expire soon. I am glad that we could find a solution that will allow Lindale ISD to continue providing uninterrupted security for its campuses, Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said. The most important thing in this situation is the safety of the students, faculty, and staff at Lindale ISD.
The Smith County Commissioners Court approved the contract last Tuesday. The contract ensures that Lindale ISD will have resource officers at every campus during the day providing security to the students. The three school resource officers will have all needed equipment, and a patrol vehicle will be provided for each officer.
We are glad to have found a solution to this problem and to help Lindale ISD maintain a secure district through the remainder of the school year, County Judge Joel Baker said. This partnership will ensure that Lindale students and teachers will continue to have the officers presence on campus, but the hope is that Lindale ISD will move toward developing their own police department within the school district and eventually provide security independently.
Lindale ISD and Smith County have had a resource officer contract since early 1999. The new contract between the Smith County Fire Marshals Office and Lindale ISD is set to begin October 1, 2014, and will end no later than September 30, 2015.
We are very thankful to Judge Baker and the county commissioners for all of their cooperative effort, Superintendent Stan Surratt said. This contract will give the district time to develop a process through the state in order to create our own district police force in the future.
