Atlantic City for the first time in its recent history will staff at least one police officer in each of its public schools.
Twelve officers have been assigned to patrol the city’s public schools in a move that will span the academic year, local officials said. One officer will be assigned to each of the city’s K-8 schools while two will be stationed at Atlantic City High School.
The increased police presence is made through $3.75 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Justice. Those funds nationwide are used to help law enforcement bolster their police rosters to mitigate crime, according to the federal agency.
The grant’s application period for its latest round of funding closed in June. Thirty new officers were expected to be hired through the grant process, officials said last November.
Officials then said the city’s allotment was a slice of about $217 million help hire and retain about 1,730 police officers in about 400 communities nationwide. The city’s grant is New Jersey’s largest and one of the largest in the U.S., city police said at the time.
The officers commissioned Tuesday in Atlantic City entered their role voluntarily, with their unit being administered by local police, officials said.
“This is something city leaders discussed in the past, but none were able to get the job done until now,” Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said in a statement. “This took a lot of hard work from many different individuals, and the addition of our school resource officers will allow our police officers to protect our children and school staff like never before.”
Small said in 2022 he envisioned at least two officers assigned to each Atlantic City school with help from grant funding. The city that year applied for grants in an effort to hire about 11 Class III officers. At the time, city officials also considered hiring part-time police aides across town.
“Having officers in every school is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure the safety of our students and school staff,” Atlantic City Police Chief James Sarkos said Tuesday. “With their presence, our officers not only help prevent potential threats but also act as positive role models, mentors, and valuable resources for students in need.”
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