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Sheriff and schools flag security gaps as Benton County explores school resource officers
Summary
At the Feb. 20 meeting, the Benton County director of schools updated commissioners on school security and said the county is looking into school resource officers; Sheriff Kenny Christopher said the county currently has three officers assigned to cover all schools.
School safety concerns were raised during the public-comment portion of the Benton County Commission meeting on Feb. 20 as local officials said the county is exploring school resource officers (SROs) and warned current coverage is thin.
Mark Florence, the county’s director of schools, told commissioners he wanted to update the county on school security and said Benton County is looking into the possibility of placing SROs in schools.
Sheriff Kenny Christopher told the commission the county "only have[s] 3 officers to monitor all Benton County Schools," and said the jail's litigation program fund needs money and that a workhouse program could both generate revenue and rehabilitate inmates. He also referenced potential outside jobs from "Crocket County Tyson Foods Co." as an economic opportunity for the county.
No formal action on staffing or SRO deployment was recorded in the minutes; the discussion was noted under Citizens Forum. Commissioners did not vote on school security staffing during the meeting.
