Stewart Reverses Proposal to Cut School Resource Officers

Due to the December shootings at Newtown, Conn., Chairman Corey Stewart on Tuesday reversed his prior proposal to reassign several school resource officers, and said the county should instead consider hiring additional officers. 

In October, Stewart had suggested shifting four of the county's five middle school resource officers back to patrol. He said at the time that the move . 

Last month, a gunman killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, including 20 children aged six and seven.

"I think in light of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., it only makes sense to withdraw that proposal. In fact, I want to see if there might be ways to expand the SRO program, of course within our means," Stewart said at a Board of County Supervisors meeting. 

Stewart said he would like for school and county staff to review school security and come up with recommendations to improve security. 

"I've got two children in schools in Prince William County," Stewart said. "I'm not worried about their safety. But every school system, in light of Newtown, across the country, needs to review security. There's always ways to improve it." 

County executive Melissa Peacor said that she had recently met with the police chief and his staff regarding the Newtown tragedy and security needs at local schools. She said she would meet with the school superintendent soon as well.

"We are going to come to you again as part of the budget process again, of course within our means," Peacor said. 

Prince William County currently has SROs at all the high schools and at five middle schools. 

Supervisor John Jenkins called Stewart's position "a bold move. I would totally support what you're doing."