Now nearing completion of an initiative that has been five years in the making, Buckingham has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the municipality and the Central Bucks School District regarding placement of a township police officer at the district schools that are located in Buckingham.
The action was taken as a unanimous vote of supervisors at their Wednesday public meeting. The district must now approve the MOU.
The new School Resource Officer (SRO) is to be selected from experienced police officers already on the Buckingham force, with primary placement at Central Bucks High School East. The officer will also be available for Holicong Middle School, and Buckingham and Cold Spring elementary schools. When the SRO is placed, a new officer will be hired to keep the department fully staffed, at a total of 23 police officers.
At a board of supervisors work session last May, Central Bucks School District Director of Operations Kevin Spencer gave a presentation on the subject, and entertained questions. He noted that the SRO serves as an employee of local law enforcement, as compared to a school security officer (SSO) or school police officer (SPO), which are employed by a school district.
Spencer also commented that “we are not looking to build prisons for our kids,” and explained that an SRO was more than just a police officer, offering a direct link to a police department for violence prevention, but also functioning as a speaker, teacher, counselor, and mentor, and thereby promoting a trusting relationship with students that allowed for their confident sharing of any security intel, among other benefits.
At the outset of Wednesday’s meeting, District Magistrate Maggie Snow conducted swearing in ceremonies for new Police Officer Tim Wacker, as the 22nd for the department, and Greg Wasko, as a Special Fire Police Officer for the Midway Volunteer Fire Company.
A native of Philadelphia, Wacker earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Kings College, and served for 14 years in the Philadelphia Police Department, where his new boss, Buckingham Chief of Police Mike Gallagher, noted he earned numerous letters of commendation. Wacker now resides in Jamison, with wife Mary Kate and their three children.
The Midway Volunteer Fire Company primarily serves Buckingham and Solebury townships, while also aiding surrounding communities. It relies on tax-deductible donations to support its firefighting and rescue services. “Fire Police” provide support services for special events and other needs. Further information is available via www.midwayvfc.com.
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