Commissioners, Sheriff’s Office talks school safety, school resource officers

In the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas last week, where 19 students and two adults died in an elementary school, this week commissioners took time to talk about school safety in Platte County.

A memorandum of understanding between the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the Park Hill School District was approved at the Tuesday, May 31 administrative session, held at the Platte County Resource Center in Kansas City. The agreement, with a budget impact of nearly $350,000, covers school resource officers (SROs) for all Park Hill schools, except for Park Hill South High School, which contracts with the City of Riverside for its school resource officer.

Major Erik Holland of the Sheriff’s Office told commissioners that the county has similar agreements with the North Platte and West Platte school districts for resource officers. The Platte County R-3 School District uses its own security service, along with its close relationships with the Platte City and Kansas City police departments.

During the school year, SROs work in the schools, but in the summer the deputies are assigned to the patrol division or special projects, such as handling community outreach programs.

“Thank you, and thanks to all those SROS and the sheriff for partnering with those schools to keep our kids safe,” said presiding commissioner Rob Schieber. “As a commissioner, I am proud to support this, and as a parent with kids in the Park Hill schools I am grateful to have those officers in the buildings.”

Schieber asked if active shooter training is a part of the program.

Holland said Missouri law requires schools to conduct active shooter training and drills each year. Law enforcement training in handling possible active shooter situations is on-going, he said.

Active, hands-on scenario training and tabletop training exercises are both included in this training. Additionally, the director of safety for Park Hill is himself a former captain with the Sheriff’s Office.

Training instructors have also visited private and parochial schools in Platte County to provide tips on keeping facilities safe.

Also at the meeting, commissioners approved more than $55,000 in work at the county detention center to update old shower doors and make the shower rooms more tamper proof.

Working in the jail presents unique challenges, according to director of facilities Daniel Erickson, who outlined the safety procedures works must follow to work in the jail environment and the need to harden all installations against inmate tampering.

STORMWATER GRANTS AWARDED

Erickson also introduced the recipients of the annual Platte County Stormwater Grants, funded through the parks, recreation and stormwater sales tax.

Nine of 10 applications for funding were approved at a total of $250,000 in projects. Those are:

  • Walnut Creek South Homes Association, $28,909

  • Village of Ferrelview, $20,095

  • Lake Waukomis Association, $10,000

  • Village of Farley, $71,313

  • City of Parkville, $24308

  • City of Platte Woods, $30,614

  • City of Riverside, $40,000

  • Scott and Manda Lamb, $13,435

  • Wales Enterprises, $11,326

Erickson said the last two of the list are projects that will be overseen directly by Platte County Planning and Zoning officials to abate stormwater problems.

Some massive improvements to Challenger Field will also be funded through the parks, recreation and stormwater sales tax, which was reduced from one-half cent to one-quarter cent by Platte County voters last year.

Challenger Baseball Field is a fully accessible facility allowing children of all abilities an opportunity to play baseball. The county approved an agreement with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City to expend $400,000 to address stormwater concerns as well as other improvements to the site.

Erickson said the YMCA considered submitting an application for a stormwater grant but as more than drainage problems were happening at the field county officials worked with the YMCA to build a more comprehensive improvement and repair plan.