ERIE TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Mason Consolidated Schools in Erie Township, MI will soon have a new school liaison officer walking through its halls. The main purpose is to make sure students, faculty and staff remain safe on campus.
The school district has been working with the Erie Township Police Department for more than a year to get a school liaison officer patrolling its hallways, but the recent tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, put this more at the forefront.
The new liaison officer will start April 9th. This will be the first time an Erie Township officer will be placed in the school district.
"We've always known we wanted to have a resource officer and finances were one of our challenges before," said Andrew Shaw, Mason Consolidated Schools Superintendent "To have the Erie Police Department right here and the relationship we have with the Erie Police Department and to have one of their officers who our kids already know is an advantage."
The sheriff's department had a deputy in the classrooms about six years ago, but that deputy was removed for financial reasons. The new officer will cost the district $44,000 a year.
"We are finding out that when you have your own local police department you can do things cheaper," said Chief Dean Ansel with the Erie Township Police Department. "Dundee police department has incorporated and started as they've already got a police officer in the Dundee Schools and we can do it for about half the price that the sheriff's department has to charge."
The liaison officer's main job responsibilities will include, patrolling the buildings, keeping an eye on student attendance and leading ALICE training for students and staff.
