Bedford city school resource officers may be cut

Several Bedford residents asked City Council on Tuesday to keep two school resource officers posted at Bedford Middle School and Bedford Elementary School.

Mayor Skip Tharp and Police Chief James Day said the city is negotiating with Bedford County and the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office to fill those officer positions as they do at other local schools.

But it is uncertain how those negotiations will play out.

“They have their own budget issues,” Day said of the county’s sheriff’s office. “It doesn’t look like they’re going to staff those spots.”

The two officers filling the school positions would be reassigned to patrol duties if council chose to not budget for them, Day said.

Jim Messier, a Bedford business owner, and Mary Jo Boone, CEO of the Bedford Area Family YMCA and a parent of students in the two schools, asked council during Tuesday’s public hearing on the budget to make sure those positions remain in the next fiscal year’s budget.

Messier said the officers are “positive role models” who defuse situations before they get out of hand. He mentioned a recent incident where a student at Bedford Elementary School brought a gun on campus, a matter that was dealt with through the resource officer.

“The program was in place, the student and the gun were isolated, and a peaceful resolution was handled promptly and efficiently,” Messier said to council. “Do not undo what our city fathers wisely put in place 21 years ago.”

Boone said the bad economic times are understandable, but asked council members to open their hearts and minds on this issue.

“These officers are bridging a huge gap between law enforcement and the families they protect,” she said. “They are building relationships that last a lifetime.”

The city’s proposed budget has a projected general fund of $16.8 million, which is nearly 5 percent less than the current budget. The budget proposes no across-the-board salary increases and calls for the elimination of four full-time and four part-time positions previously budgeted.

To absorb shortfalls if revenues don’t meet projections, the city is proposing several tax increases: a 5-cent raise on the real estate tax rate of 81 cents per every $100 of assessed value, a 26-cent increase on the personal property tax rate of $2.17 per every $100 of assessed value and a 10-cent increase on cigarettes and tobacco.

No one spoke during a separate public hearing Tuesday on the proposed tax increases. Council is slated to adopt the budget next month.