Michigan City City Hall
MICHIGAN CITY — The City Council approved a contract for school resource officers, but with some concerns about how they’re chosen and deployed.
The contract with Michigan City Area Schools dates back to 2018. The new contract calls for the school district to pay the city $100,000 per year, paid three times a year, to cover the cost of providing the two officers during the school year.
Their responsibilities include being visible, active law enforcement figures on campus dealing with law enforcement matters and school code violations, providing a safe environment on campus, serving as a classroom resource for law education, to be a resource at teacher-parent-student conferences, to appear before various school groups and to document activities and offer statistical data when requested.
Duties of school resource officers heavily emphasize an active role when drugs or alcohol are involved.
“These two officers are vital to the operation of the schools, especially the operation of the high school,” Councilman Don Przybylinski, D-at large, said.
Rodney McCormick, a father of five kids, said it’s important for the council to weigh in on who the officers are. “I think the school should take care of their business, but safety is crucial,” he said.