Board appoints Brian Turpin as special officer for school resource duties and expands appointment to all North Lawrence schools

City staff informed the Board of Works and Safety that North Lawrence Community Schools (NLC) had hired Brian Turpin to serve as a school resource officer at Bedford Middle School and requested the board appoint him as a city special officer to enable law-enforcement authority while on school property. Staff said the appointment was tied to the agreement approved at the May 19, 2026 meeting and that the appointment automatically continues year-to-year unless changed; staff indicated the term runs through June 30 each year unless the board alters it.

A board member moved to approve the appointment, the motion was seconded and the board approved the motion. After the fireworks item, a board member asked whether the appointment was limited to Bedford Middle School or covered all NLC properties. Staff confirmed the prior approval included other NLC properties. The member then replaced the earlier motion with a new motion appointing Brian Turpin as a special officer for all North Lawrence Community Schools; the board approved that replacement motion by voice vote.

The appointment enables Turpin to exercise necessary law-enforcement authority while performing school resource duties on NLC property. The transcript does not record a roll-call of individual yes votes or any conditions attached to the appointment beyond the term language described by staff.