Belen Middle School to get resource officer

May 19, 2009

Belen Middle School is getting a new school resource officer, after a memorandum of understanding was passed last night by the Belen City Council.

The memorandum between the City of Belen and Belen Consolidated Schools allows the two governments to share the cost of having two school resource officers (SROs), one at the middle school and the other at Belen High School. The officers will cost approximately $200,000.

“For equipment — if you’re including a vehicle, weapons, training, uniforms — and salary, it goes to the neighborhood of close to $100,000,” Belen Police Chief Mike Chavez said. “The school district gives us $50,000 for the first SRO, and another $50,000. At the end of the year, they reimburse us $100,000 for both.”

Chavez explained that when school’s not in session the city has the two officers on regular duty, which benefits the city in the summertime. During the school year the officers will be working at the schools.

“We’re going to start off with one at the high school and one at the middle school,” Chavez said. “At the middle school we get just as many calls as the high school, if not more. We really need one over there.”

Chavez said having two resource officers is still “spreading it thin.”

Both the city council and the board of education unanimously approved the memorandum.

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