The Argos Town Council members discussed funding the School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Argos Community School Corporation during their meeting last week.
The town pays for the officer’s benefits. The Argos Police Department has four officers at this time with the fifth newly-hired officer to soon attend the Police Academy. The new officer would not be able to join the Argos police force for some time so the town and the school are looking for a sworn officer of the State of Indiana to fill the spot.
Argos Police Chief Corey Bowman stated dedicating one officer from the department would put the regular staff at a disadvantage. However, he said he has spoken to some people who would be interested in the position. The person could work but not be paid the police pension. The officer would be approved for PERF.
Councilmen Shawn Harley and George Null commented that they understand the importance of filling the position. While Councilman Charles Randy Snead does not argue the importance of the School Resource Officer, he said he was concerned about the manpower of the police department. Councilwoman Angela Resendez commented that she wanted to see a job description before approving the funding for the SRO.
In the end, the council voted 3-2 to approve a motion funding the position with George Null, Shawn Harley and Erica Partin voting in favor of the motion, and Charles Randy Snead and Angela Resendez opposed to the motion.
