City Police, Schools May Partner to Hire SROs

The Paducah City Commission has accepted a grant that could help pay salaries for school resource officers in city schools. 

The Paducah Police Department received the $375,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, which would pay entry-level salaries and fringe benefits for three officers for three years. The city would be responsible for a 25 percent match, and the city or Paducah Public Schools would be responsible for a fourth year of pay and benefits for all three officers.

The school system and the police department are currently discussing a program that would use the grant, and the district has 90 days to accept a memorandum of understanding or refuse the help.

School resource officers paid by the grant are required to complete a 40-hour basic training course from the National Association of School Resource Officers within nine months of the awarding of the grant or six months of the officer's hire date, whichever comes first, unless they have completed the course within the last year.

Commissioners accepted the grant at their meeting last week.