Grant brings back school resource officer

The Whitefish Police Department has received a grant that will return a police officer to the Whitefish School District.

The U.S. Department of Justice COPS recently announced a grant of $125,000 awarded to the police department. The grant, along with a matching contribution by the school district, will place a school resource officer in the schools.

Police Chief Bill Dial said he is preparing a memorandum of understanding between the city and school and once that is in place the officer will be hired.

“A school resource officer can really improve and contribute to the overall environment in a school,” city councilor Richard Hildner said. “This is a great move and we are fortunate to have the grant.”

The grant will pay for the salary and benefits of an officer for three years after which the city commits to keeping the officer on staff.

The school resource officer historically was funded in a partnership with the school district, but was eliminated in 2010 because of a lack of funding.

After the current grant expires the city has said it intends to split the cost of the officer with the school district.

The COPS, or Community Oriented Policing Services, program offers grants to state, local and tribal enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions.