Ramapo, Indian Hills high schools will be adding armed guards

OAKLAND — Ramapo and Indian Hills high schools will each be getting an armed guard to patrol the halls.

The Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education approved a $115,200 Class III special law enforcement officer package for its 2024-2025 budget on Monday.

One guard for each school will be hired to start in September, board Vice President Marianna Emmolo said.

The regional high schools will follow their three grade school sending districts, Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff, which have already authorized armed officers in their buildings.

Trustee Aaron Lorenz voted against the proposal, expressing reservations at what he described as the board's "hasty decision" to adopt the program, which has not been the subject of significant public board discussion during the past year.

"This is not to be misconstrued that I'm not supportive of school safety," Lorenz said. "But there are three reasons why I'm opposed to armed guards in schools. The first is that the data is not clear that it makes school safer. The second is I think it alters the atmosphere of the school itself. And lastly, my hope is that both as a board and as a community, we have more of a discussion."

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Franklin Lakes Borough Council members Joel Ansh and Ardith Cardenas urged the board to act.

"I'm shocked that we don't have this," said Ansh, husband of school board President Kim Ansh. "Our children are our most important resource. Is there a price or reason that we don't have that already?"

Cardenas cited U.S. Department of Justice statistics establishing schools as "very vulnerable locations."

"We should acknowledge and realize that at both Ramapo and Indian Hills, security is critical," Cardenas said. "It is incumbent upon you to make sure our students are as safe as possible."

Security options

After the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut, the New Jersey School Boards Association initiated a task force to study school security.

In 2014, the task force said a school resource officer — a full-time police officer trained to protect children, staff and property in New Jersey public schools — was the "preferred model for a law enforcement presence in a school building."

However, a full-time officer required health care and pension benefits, raising the cost and making such officers prohibitive to some districts.

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In 2016, Gov. Chris Christie approved the Class III special law enforcement officer position. Such officers are retired law enforcement officers under age 65 who had served as full-time police officers in New Jersey within three years of appointment, and who were trained as school resource officers. They have full police powers and are permitted to carry firearms, but may be hired only in a part-time capacity, and they are prohibited from receiving pension or health care benefits.

Current security

Ramapo Indian Hills interim Schools Superintendent James Baker said Tuesday that currently "both schools have officers from the local police force that visit their halls rather frequently, but not on a schedule."

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Ramapo High School receives school resource officer services through the Franklin Lakes Police Department, Chief Mark McCombs said.

"Two officers are assigned to the middle/grade schools full time," McCombs said. "The third assists them at those locations while also serving Ramapo High School and Most Blessed Sacrament. They rotate schools throughout the day and are supplemented by patrol resources when available."

Wyckoff grade school Superintendent Kerry Postma said the district has five Class III special law enforcement officers, one for each school. They were hired last summer by the Wyckoff Police Department.

"The district pays the entire $382,000 cost, including startup costs, uniforms and training," Postma said. "It's been very well received and successful."

Oakland grade schools are in their first year using special law enforcement officers in an agreement with borough police, said Business Administrator Annette Wells.

"We have four officers, one for each school, with a total budget of $250,000 for salaries/FICA and $50,000 for startup costs such as uniform, gun, walkie-talkies, evaluations," Wells said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ramapo, Indian Hills high schools will have armed guards