The future is still unknown, but Newtown's finest are planning ahead. With the town budget passed and deadlines for grants in the near future, the Newtown Police Department are concluding a window for accepting applications this week. There are still no guarantees, said Chief Michael Kehoe. But the department wants to be ready.
"There's still some uncertainty and unknowns," said Kehoe. "But we're trying to establish a list of people that would be eligible to be hired."
The window for applications -- including both certified and uncertified officers -- opened several weeks ago, before the town budget was approved by voters last week. The budget includes funds in a contingency account town officials say could be used to put School Resource Officers (SROs) in each of Newtown's public schools. (A revision of the budget before its approval removed funds for the equivalent of a full-time officer at Reed Intermediate School, but officials said it could still be covered by restructuring.)
"We recognize this process is a long process, and yet our service requirements may occur before we can jumpstart that process," said Kehoe. "[W]e have to do contingency planning here -- and that's what we did."
Another form of contingency planning: officials are seeking grant money. Kehoe said police officials are still preparing several grants, including a grant from COPS (Community-Oriented Policing Services), a program of the United States Department of Justice, due May 22.
While the money in the town budget is enough to cover SROs, the budget did not specify a use for the contingency funds, and officials say the discussion is still open. While some parents and officials have called for one or even two SROs in each Newtown public school in the wake of the Dec. 14 shooting, others have said the move isn't necessary.
"There's certainly a variety of opinions on what the public wants," said Kehoe. "[W]e know there's some sensitive matters, some sensitive opinions ... We're trying to address them the best we can. We're still in the listening stage."
Kehoe added the department is not specifically looking for officers with SRO training, and may recruit SROs from within, should the town decide to use them. Kehoe says the department has gotten about five or six certified applicants and 35 non-certified applicants, as of Friday morning, when Patch spoke with him.
"More or less," he adds. "That changes daily."
The department is hiring through May 24, according to the town's website.
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