The Milford Board of Education has recently proposed placing armed guards in the elementary schools and the Academy to ensure improved protection for the staff and students.

Currently, Milford’s elementary schools and The Academy only have a greeter, while the middle schools and high schools have a School Resource Officer (SRO) for their protection.

Jeff Nielsen, the Milford Public Schools District School and Security Coordinator and former police officer, said the district is “always looking to improve” school safety and believes an armed security officer will help “strengthen security systems.” He added, “This was a good time to propose this,” noting that other districts such as Newtown and Orange have added similar measures.

According to the district’s presentation, the current SROs are current law enforcement officers employed by a Connecticut police department. The proposed armed guards will be called School Security Officers. They will be retired or former law enforcement officers who will be employed by the school district.

The SROs are currently assigned to a singular middle school or high school, and the School Security Officers will be assigned to a singular elementary school or The Academy. “They are going to be assigned to a single school,” Nielsen stated, explaining that this allows each officer to focus on one building and its specific needs.

 School Security Officers will have many specific requirements that need to be met before they are hired. They must have at least 15 years of prior experience as a sworn law enforcement officer. Previous experience could include working for a local police department or the Division of State Police. The candidates will also undergo an extensive background check.

The future School Security Officers must endure a series of extensive training. This training will include an annual firearm training that meets or exceeds Police Officer Standards, Annual Armed School Security Officer training, and active aggressor training with the Milford Police Department (MDP) for safety.

To ensure the better health of the staff and students, they must take other types of training like First Aid, CPR certification, AED certification, and mental health training. They will also do professional development if deemed necessary. Nielsen said the officers will complete “above training” requirements and emphasized that the state requires annual certification for armed guards. He added that the district already has “we have some people in place to provide security,” such as front door monitoring and a visitor control system.

Their duties will consist of patrolling both the interior and exterior of the campus, monitoring and assisting with the student arrival and dismissal, keeping a watch on outdoor activities, detecting unauthorized entry and activity on campus, identifying and reporting dangerous conditions, assisting in safety and security plan developments, and participating in school building-based security committees. They also must assist others on campus with medical emergencies and notify emergency responders if in a high-risk situation.

The introduction of armed guards is not a cheap decision; it has an estimated cost of $576,400. This estimated price includes training, uniforms, supplies, salaries, and benefits.