Tiverton Police Chief Patrick Jones has received town council approval to apply for a federal grant that, if approved, could result in the hiring of a second school resource officer for Tiverton’s schools.

The COPS Hiring Program, administered through the U.S. Department of Justice, provides up to $125,000 over a three-year period to cover entry-level salary and fringe benefits for new or rehired officers. The town would be required to provide a 25 percent match.

During a presentation at the March 27 council meeting, Jones said school district officials would need to be fully on board before any hiring decisions are made. The grant application comes with no obligation to accept the funds, he said, but would be one step in the process of bringing another SRO into the schools.

Following a school safety public forum held at the high school in February, Jones said he heard a “loud and clear” message from community members that they want to see more SROs in the schools. Tiverton Police Officer Jacqueline Smaldone was recently appointed to fill a vacancy created late last year when the former SRO was placed on administrative leave.

Jones told the council that a second SRO would partner with Smaldone, allowing one officer to focus primarily on the middle and high schools while the other would cover the three elementary schools. He said this would ensure steady and consistent coverage throughout the 180-day school year, particularly if one of the SROs needed to be out of the building for a sick day, training purposes, or other reasons.

A year ago, the town council voted to accept $250,000 through the same federal program. Those funds were directed towards strengthening community policing efforts and increasing the police department’s focus on the escalating mental health crisis in town.

COPS School Violence Prevention program

The council also authorized Jones to apply for a second U.S. Department of Justice grant of up to $500,000 that, if approved, would help offset expenses for enhanced security at schools and on school grounds over a three-year period. The town would be required to contribute a cash match of at least 25 percent toward the total cost of an approved project. 

Jones said the grant is designed to increase school security and offset costs related to staff and student training and building and equipment upgrades.