SILVER CREEK - The school resource officer agreement appears to be moving forward in Silver Creek.
The Silver Creek Village Board received an update on the progress of the contract at its meeting Monday.
Last week the Silver Creek Board of Education was able to find the funds for 10 hours of coverage with the SRO. The same has been budgeted for Forestville Central School, making the position a part-time assignment.
The village no longer has an officer trained as an SRO, and therefore would have to pay for training.
Trustee Thomas Harmon asked Police Chief Timothy Roche what that would cost the village.
Roche said in the past it has been a four-day training program and the village has paid for the officer's salary while at training and the cost of transportation to the Erie County training location.
Roche was unsure when the next course will be held.
"I'm not sure when the next training for the SRO would be. It would be in the fall of this year or the spring of next year. Right now. ... I've looked and I haven't seen anything in the fall," he said, agreeing to look into it.
Harmon asked if an officer must be trained to serve as the SRO.
Roche said any officer can serve as the SRO for the enforcement part of the program, the training is for the education portion.
"The school has a concern the students are getting a little more bold and things are starting to happen that haven't happened in a long time because there is nobody there to enforce the situation," Trustee Nick Piccolo added.
Roche said he had not heard anything about a meeting with the town since their last meeting.
Roche also did not have the final draft of the SRO agreement for the board.
"We will wait to have the final agreement to sign it," Deputy Mayor Amy Romanik said.
Roche said he expects to have the final draft by the board's next meeting Oct. 15.
Also at the meeting the board approved the appointment of Richard T. Grant as a part-time police officer.
Harmon said Grant is an area native and will be an "awesome addition" to the village police force.
He said Grant's appointment comes after the village's loss of three police officers this year, the most recent of which was Timothy Christian. He said depending on the timing of the SRO training, Grant may fill that position.
