In response to increasing concerns about school violence, the Martin County School Board in Eastern Kentucky has taken a bold step by recently voting to establish its own police department.

In a January meeting, the Martin County Board of Education discussed plans to create a police department within the district, hoping to provide school resource officers for the schools throughout the district. The initiative has garnered positive feedback from educators and community members alike.

The district plans to employ five certified officers, including a police chief, with each officer stationed at one of the county’s five schools. The goal is to enhance security and provide a consistent law enforcement presence to foster trust and improve response times in emergencies.

Dr. Michelle Harless, principal of Martin County High School, oversees the safety of more than 500 students and sees the presence of a full-time school resource officer as a crucial step forward.

“They could develop a repoire with the police officer and not have this preconceived notion that police are against them. It can help us take care of situations quickly,” Dr. Harless said.

Superintendent Larry James emphasized that the officers will have full arrest powers, noting that the process of establishing a police department is in its early stages. He is currently gathering policies, procedures and job descriptions from other districts with similar programs.

“It’s a process because you have to get accredited as a police department,” James said. “These are things I’m finding out.”

The five officers will be considered school employees, receiving salaries and benefits. The estimated annual salary cost for the department is $200,000, with the Kentucky Department of Education expected to reimburse half of that amount.

“It will make kids feel safer, staff feel safer as well as the community, having someone there at all times just in case something goes wrong,” James added.