Resource officer position covered by Hubbard Township
City manpower shortage leaves others to fill slot
HUBBARD TOWNSHIP — Shortages in city law enforcement has led to the Hubbard Exempted Village Schools resource officer position being filled by the township “pretty regularly,” according to a township police sergeant.
Hubbard Township police Sgt. Ron Reed explained to trustees as part of his department head report at a regular meeting Tuesday that the city reached out to acting Chief William Greene, asking if the township could “step it up” and put people in the school’s resource officer positions.
Officers have been covering up to eight hours at the school in time not scheduled for the township, as it’s considered a side job, according to Reed.
“That’s actually considered a side job. It’s actually a specialized job,” Reed said. “So even their SRO, even their officers that were not assigned as an SRO from the city, that was opened up as a side job by the school for an officer to fill from the city, because they technically don’t have an SRO position right now.”
Fiscal Officer Jennifer Evans questioned whether it would still fall upon the township to cover those positions if they didn’t have anyone willing to give up personal time to do so.
Reed said there was originally a resource officer position from the city, but it was opened up as a secondary job. But they’re still lacking the personnel able to or willing to add those hours.
“We offer it to our officers and if we can’t fill it, then we have to turn around and say, ‘does anyone in the sheriff’s (want to),’ because they have 70 some deputies that they can try and reach out to,” Reed said.
But even they have trouble finding someone.
Reed said they don’t leave the kids hanging regardless, as they still have officers throughout the day and their shifts covering the school. But it’s unfortunate that they don’t have someone actually there sometimes, he added.
Trustee William Colletta said he has been pushing for the school district to have someone from both the township and city in those positions.
“Those kids are township kids as much as city kids and they deserve to see our officers, (develop) familiarity, and just to be a part of that process,” Colletta said.
Reed confirmed the position is going through the superintendent’s office, and explained he sends an invoice of the officer and the hours and date they worked, so they’re directly paid off their W-9.
“The only thing we’re doing is giving them the times and the officer’s information. They do everything else,” Reed said.