Plymouth Township PD will assign school resource officer to schools

Plymouth Township PD will assign school resource officer to public and private schools

Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel plans to put a school resource officer in place to cover all schools in the community, both public and private, by the start of the next school year.

The Plymouth Township Board of Trustees approved the $74,000 funding for the new position in the 2023 budget.

Knittel said his department will first hire a new patrol officer and then select a school resource officer (SRO) from applicants within the department.

“We want to use a veteran or seasoned officer for the SRO position,” Knittel said, noting that the SRO would travel to schools in the township for programs, outreach and other activities. Specifics are still being planned.

“Our goal is to have this officer in the schools as much as possible on a daily basis and accessible to all schools,” Knittel said.  “The first thing we’re looking for is positive interaction with all the students.