Cresthill council OKs school resource officer pilot with two district agreement

The Cresthill City Council voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement on Aug. 19 to create a School Resource Officer (SRO) pilot program with Richland Grade School District 88 and Chaney Manji School District 88, a measure the council passed by roll call as Resolution 1341. The agreement, introduced by Police Chief Ed Clark, would place a Cresthill police officer in the two school districts as part of a pilot program the chief described as "a great thing, I think, for the community." The council approved the resolution after discussion and a previously held work session on the item. Why this matters: the pilot creates a formal partnership between the Cresthill Police Department and two school districts to station police personnel on campus, which proponents said will add a layer of safety and relationship-building between officers, students and staff. At the meeting, Chief Ed Clark asked the council for formal approval and said the city had discussed the proposal at the work session earlier in the month. The motion to approve came from Alderman Overland and was seconded by Alderman Albert; the roll call vote recorded the motion as carried and recorded Resolution 1341. Mayor (name not specified) praised the program, calling it "a great partnership" and saying the program would "help protect a lot of children going forward." The mayor also said he hoped the city could one day place an officer in each school. Council members and others publicly named participants from the agreement and its development. The mayor and other speakers credited Cresthill Police Department staff including Deputy Chief Dobbsick and Deputy Chief Reavis, and the two district superintendents, Phil Raab of Richland Grade School and Andy Siegfried of Chaney Manji, for their work on the agreement. Chief Clark said the city would "keep a close eye on it as we just start moving on this." Council members congratulated Officer Heidi Outlaw, whom one alderman identified as the city's first SRO and praised: "Heidi is a fantastic person for that role...She is so well respected by all the teachers in both schools." Discussion vs. decision: council discussion and praise preceded the vote; the formal action adopted the intergovernmental agreement as Resolution 1341. The transcript does not specify funding terms, schedule details, or the length of the pilot; those items were not stated at the meeting. Next steps: Chief Clark said he would "update council, as things progress." No additional motions at the meeting amended the agreement; one council member requested the agreement be postdated "before the eleventh," and a speaker said that request would be included in the motion prior to the vote. Ending note: The newly approved SRO pilot begins under an intergovernmental framework; implementation details such as assignment schedules, cost shares or start dates were not specified during the council meeting.