Board moving cautiously toward resource officer
By Suzanne Werre, BHG News Service
The Underwood School Board gave Supt. Brandt Dick the flashing yellow light to proceed cautiously with discussions on the school entering into an agreement with other schools within the county to hire a resource officer. McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson was at the board meeting Wednesday night and was looking for a green light which would have been a definite “yes, we want to join with the other schools to hire a resource officer,” but he had to settle for the cautious approach as the board members didn’t want to enter into an agreement they would be tied to without an “out,” if the resource officer didn’t work out. “I’d like to see a way out after a period of time if we need it,” said board member Mike Heger. “I would like to approve the posting (of the job requirements) before we do it, and I would like to make sure we get a person that’s trained,” added Heger, noting that the resource officer needs a particular skill set, not only policing ability, but the ability to deal with psychological and social issues with students and their families.
