Flathead Co-op offers resource officer grant

Libby Public Schools and the Libby Police Department are working with Flathead Electric Cooperative toward creating a position for a school resource officer.

Lincoln County sheriff-elect Darren Short said that — as a member of the Libby Police Department — he had been working for some time toward finding a way to bring a school resource officer back to Libby.

Libby had a resource officer in the past, but when the federal grant that paid for the officer went away, so did the position, Short said.

So, when Flathead Electric reached out to Short and Flathead County Sheriff-elect Brian Heino about helping to fund two officers in Flathead County and one in Lincoln County, Short was already on board with the idea.

The agreement that the cooperative offered is estimated to pay for 30 percent of the wages and benefits for a school resource officer in Lincoln County, according to a data sheet supplied by FEC Public Relations Officer Wendy Ostrom-Price. The estimated amount to be given by Flathead Electric over the five years of the grant is $109,500.

Short said that the officer in Lincoln County wouldn’t fall under the sheriff, but would instead be an officer with the Libby Police Department. Unlike Flathead County, the cooperative has few customers in Lincoln County outside of the area around Libby.

So, while Short is helping to facilitate the process given his past work on finding a way to create a resource officer position again, Libby Police Chief Scott Kessel will be the one getting an addtional employee

Ironing out

“The (resource officer), right now, will be a full time position, and during the school year, they’ll be providing services to the schools. And when school is not in session, they’ll be an auxiliary to the police department,” Kessel said.

The resource officer would be a fully-sworn officer on the Libby Police Department all year round.

The details — including the job description — are still in the works, Kessel said. However, he does have a good idea of what he wants in a resource officer.

Kessel said that the officer would have to have some experience, and not just be a fresh recruit without law enforcement experience. At the same time, he also doesn’t want to hire someone who assumes it will be an easy job or a place to wait things out until retirement.

“Their role is so critical in the school. They’ve got to interact with these kids, and become a trusted member at the school, so the kids can come to them with concerns and problems,” Kessel said.

By being someone the students can trust and identify with, the resource officer is able to be proactive, heading off problems before they start, Kessel said.

In addition, the officer would help monitor and deal with issues such as student substance abuse.

Libby Public Schools Superintendent Craig Barringer said that the resource officer would have a role to play in advising on education that related to the officer’s area of expertise, such as preventative education dealing with drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Barringer said the resource officer may also assist with resolving unexcused absences or behavioral issues within the school.

But that doesn’t mean just going out after students who step out of line, it also means being someone who helps students to not stray off the path in the first place.

“I would say, one of the most important parts of a successful school resource officer is being able to relate to the kids — to be able to build a relationship with those kids,” Barringer said. “The success or failure of any school, regardless, is the relationship you build with kids.”

Barringer said he sees the possibility of a resource officer acting as a mentor to students who need someone to look up to.

“And I hope also another positive connection between the school and the community,” he said.

Kessel said that, while they are still several steps from the hiring process — such as working out details with the school and acquiring permission from the city to hire another officer — he does have an idea of traits he will be looking for.

The officer they will be looking for will be someone who can make any student at the school feel comfortable, regardless their social group or background, he said.

“I do think we’ll be able to find somebody that’ll suit the needs of the community,” Kessel said.

Looking Forward

Ostrom-Price said that the intent of the grant is to serve as a kind of “seed money.” There is no plan from Flathead Electric to continue funding after the initial five years.

“The goal is for them to be self-sustaining after five years, as that is when the grant will end,” she said.

Barringer said that there hasn’t been any discussion yet as to how the funding from the grant might be replaced when it runs out. Although, the schools and police department are still working out what the officer’s specific duties will be at this time.

Barringer said funding beyond the grant will be a topic of future discussion.

“Hopefully they will be successful, because we’d really like to see these programs work out,” Ostrom-Price said.