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Plan would replace Ankeny school police officers
Ankeny, Ia. — Employees of a private security firm would monitor Ankeny's secondary-school hallways under a proposal offered to the school board earlier this month.
The district's security personnel budget currently pays half the salary for two Ankeny Police Department members to serve as school resource officers in the middle and high school buildings.
There are also staff members who serve as campus monitors, and money budgeted to hire police officers to work large sporting events such as football games.
Superintendent Matthew Wendt told the board on Feb. 7 that, while district leaders would call on police when needed, a private firm could handle all those security duties while keeping costs within the current budget.
I am baffled at the necessity to have this type of security in our schools. The middle school across the street from my house has a police vehicle there at least twice a week that I see. The only police presence I saw in school was to direct traffic at sport events.
