School District Puts Cop in Every School Without Cost to Taxpayers

By Scott Stump, NBC News/TODAY

Credit: NBC News

The community of Simpsonville, S.C., has figured out a way to put a police officer in every school without spending a dime of taxpayer money, and are hoping to be a model for the rest of the country.

March 6, 2013 Updated Mar 6, 2013 at 10:22 AM PDT

In the wake of the shooting in Newtown, Conn., schools around the country have considered posting armed police officers inside their buildings, but have often run into the roadblock of paying for them.

A school district in South Carolina has come up with a creative solution to that problem at zero cost to taxpayers.

In Simpsonville, police officer Justin Chandler has set up his his community service office at Plain Elementary School. There he can handle administrative duties and make phone calls while also having time to patrol the halls and keep the school safe as an armed guard.

“I’d rather be here and not be needed, than be needed and not be here,’’ Chandler told NBC’s Katy Tur in a segment that aired on TODAY Wednesday.

Chandler is in the school every day anyway, and it only took a few minor accommodations to get him there full time.

“All I needed from the school is a desk and Wi-Fi,’’ Chandler said. “We said it’s a no-brainer. When we got down to brass tacks with it, it didn’t cost a dime.

There is much more to this story from NBC News, to read about it CLICK HERE.

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