GREENFIELD — No additional school resource officers are in the plan for next year’s spending.
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday against the proposal by Mayor William Martin to add two school resource officers to the schools. The officers were to be part of the police department’s budget after July 1.
The total cut was $118,128.
“One thing that bothered me about this proposal is we were asked to fund two new school resource officers and given almost no justification for it,” City Councilor Tim Dolan said during the budget meeting Wednesday.
Dolan said the council received no data on whether school resource officers would have a positive effect on students or school safety.
Several councilors said an overwhelming majority of people spoke against the addition of school resource officers.
“I didn’t hear from a single parent saying, ‘please put a school resource officer in to protect my children,’” Councilor Isaac Mass said.
Mass said Greenfield High School students who participated in a student council debate last week voiced a desire for more adults they can speak to, and not necessarily additional police officers.
But Councilor John Lobik said a school resource officer helped to protect students in Santa Fe, Texas, when a gunman opened fire on students.
“We will keep debating this until something happens,” Lobik said.
Police engaged with the gunman within four minutes of the shooting, according to media reports. Ten people were killed and another 13 were wounded.