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Boardman schools and police department join forces on school security
BOARDMAN
At a time when students’ safety has never been more of a concern to parents, teachers and administrators, Boardman schools’ security will be handled by someone whose top priority is preventing a school shooting.
Paul Poulos, a Boardman police officer, is the new security supervisor for Boardman Local Schools.
This is the first time a Boardman police officer will fill the position, said Tim Saxton, director of operations for the school system.
“The relationship between the township and the school district just keeps getting better and better, almost like a team effort to make the schools better, which makes the community better,” said Boardman Police Chief Jack Nichols.
Poulos said quick communication with police dispatch and better access to police-department resources are ways the district will benefit from his role in the police department.
“I think that cohesive relationship [between the police department and school district] ... is the biggest benefit of me being here,” he said. “I can have a tremendous amount of police resources here very quickly.”
The township still pays Poulos’ salary, and the school district will pay 75 percent of the salary for a new officer to replace Poulos while he is busy during the school year.
Nichols said this arrangement works out well, because they could use an extra officer. Saxton said it saves the school district between $20,000 and $25,000.
Day-to-day, Poulos is stationed at the high school, where he monitors vehicles in the parking lot, ensures students make it to their first classes without a problem, patrols the campus, prevents fights and handles disputes, and responds to the needs of staff members.
In the bigger picture, Poulos said, “The absolute number one priority is to do everything we can to keep a mass-casualty event from happening.”
“We’ve had so many of these situations nationwide — worldwide — that we don’t have a choice but to think about it. And that’s why I’m here,” he said.
Poulos cited his experience as a sniper in the U.S. Army as one of his qualifications for dealing with this type of situation, as it would require someone who can respond instantly.
He will continue doing lock-down drills, which Boardman schools have been doing for years.
He plans, however, to do more intense drills in the future.
One idea is a drill where guns are fired into clearing barrels, when students are not in the building, so staff members are familiar with the sound of gunfire. He said gunfire might not make the sound people would expect, especially in a building like the high school.
“It is intense,” he acknowledged. “But it’s something that has crossed my mind. The idea is preparing staff mentally for that worst-case scenario. ... We want to lessen the shock.”
Saxton said protecting students from outside threats has always been a priority of the security supervisor, but that Poulos brings a new perspective on the issue.
“I think with Officer Poulos’ background, he paints [those situations] in living color,” Saxton said. “He brings in a hands-on knowledge that we did not have in the past.”