LEETONIA School resource officer is funded
One of the officer's duties will be providing a variety of educational programs.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- A Leetonia officer could be on duty in the hallways of Leetonia schools as soon as September 2004.
Leetonia Police Chief John Soldano said a full-time school resource officer will be funded for three years through a $100,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant.
Soldano said the justice department has not sent any paperwork to Leetonia yet, but U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, notified him of the award.
Variety of programs
Soldano said providing a variety of educational programs in the schools will be one facet of the school resource officer's duties.
The school resource officer will likely run the department's drug and alcohol resistance education program.
He said Lisbon officers have run D.A.R.E. in Leetonia schools the past three years.
"We're not talking about having an officer patrolling the halls with a billy club," Soldano emphasized. "The officer will be involved in the discipline process and work closely with school administrators and counselors in that. His main purpose, however, will be proactive rather than reactive -- to build a rapport with the students and the faculty -- to gain their trust."
100 percent aid
Leetonia has about 900 pupils in kindergarten through 12th grades, housed at a single site.
Soldano said the department has been applying for the department of justice grant for several years, hoping to put the additional officer in the school district full time.
He said the grant provides 100 percent of the funding, so although all departments in the village are facing cutbacks because of loss of revenue, the grant should not be affected.
tullis@vindy.com