Atlantic Police: SRO position won’t happen now until the 2025-26 School Year

News

December 30th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa – Officials with the Atlantic Police Department today (Monday) announced on social media, that efforts to have a School Resource Officer in-place by the time students return from the Winter break in January, won’t take place as hoped.
The statement said the police department made the “Decision to recalibrate and set [its] goal for the 2025-2026 school year.
With this being a specific position that is being filled,” the P-D said they “are looking for the right person to fit that role. Doing so in the middle of the school year is proving to be a hurdle for interested parties.
Officials went on to say “We are going to continue to work with the Atlantic Community School District to prepare for this position to be filled and continue our fundraising efforts so that equipment is ready when that time comes. We greatly appreciate all of the support that we have received for this position and feel confident that we will find the right fit for the role in the near future.”
During their meeting in October, the Atlantic City Council passed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Atlantic School District for a School Resource Officer program.
The Atlantic School Board approved the MOU during their meeting in November. The Officer’s salary will be split 75/25-percent, with the district picking-up 75% of the cost. The City of Atlantic had begun advertising for the SRO position November 14th.
When the position is filled, the SRO will provide a point of contact for the school administration on law enforcement issues, build working relationships with students, staff, and parents and participate in education and problem-solving. The SRO will also assist the rest of the Police force and community on issues involving young people.
The MOU also outlines the responsibilities, expectations, accountability, and general operating structure for the SRO program and explains the cost-sharing between the two entities.