In the wake of recent shootings at schools in Florida and Kentucky, school officials in Benton have approached city officials about providing resource officers.
Chief of Police Kyle Melvin told the city council Monday night that an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Benton Grade School and Benton High School districts is being discussed.
"Both superintendents of the grade school and high school have discussed hiring resource officers for both schools," Melvin said. "What we're asking the council's approval on is being able to discuss the possibility of that further. It is common for school districts, in part, to provide funding to hire officers for their schools. Other school districts in southern Illinois have expressed a lot of interest in hiring resource officers have already done so."
Mayor Fred Kondritz said there seems to be an epidemic in the United States, adding, "We have to stop it. Benton is just as liable as any other town in the country. I think this is an answer to the epidemic."
"He (Melvin) has been working on this. I think the schools really need it," Public Health and Safety Commissioner Don Storey added.
Storey made the made the motion to move forward on the intergovernmental agreement, which was approved unanimously by the council.
After a lengthy discussion, the council also agreed to purchase new Christmas decorations and lighting. Finance Commissioner Dennis Miller said the city could receive up to a 30 percent discount if the purchase is made by the end of March.
When asked about how to finance the $14,000 project, Miller said the city could use funds from the community service grant (about $4,000) provided by Republic Services, and the city is exploring other grant opportunities. Those monies would not fund the entire project, but city officials maintained the remaining amount could be raised through private donations.
"We've been very fortunate that we have people in the community that have been giving. I'm confident we can get the majority of the remainder from donors," Kondritz said.
