Clarksville Board Members Approve Purchase Of Vehicle For Second SRO

by Janice Penix

Members of the Clarksville School Board voted during their monthly meeting Monday, May 20, to approve the purchase of a vehicle and other supplies for a second school resource officer.

Superintendent David Hopkins said the district has an agreement with the city to share the costs associated with the officer, who will be an employee of the Clarksville Police Department assigned to the school district.

Previously, when the CPD had just one SRO position, the school district shared the cost by a 60-40 split. Hopkins said when a second position was approved earlier this school year, the cost agreed upon was a 40-60 split, or essentially a 50-50 split for the total cost of two officers.

As part of the agreement, the district will provide certain supplies for the officer, including a vehicle for the second officer and new laptops. Board members approved the payment of an invoice from the city for those items, totaling $47,150.56.

Sgt. Trent Wood of the CPD began work in the second SRO position following Spring Break, but Hopkins told the Board that the current SRO, Frankie Tucker, was leaving his position at Clarksville for another agency and a replacement for Tucker’s position has not been assigned.

Hopkins told the Board until the second SRO position is filled, the district will continue to pay the 60-40 split for the one officer but that the “ultimate goal is to have two resource officers.”

The vehicle purchase was included in the current budget, according to Hopkins and Business Manager Brittany Koch…

For the full story see the May 29 edition of The Graphic.