Waterford Cop to be Assigned to Clark Lane Middle School

Tuesday night, Waterford Police Chief Murray Pendleton said that he will assign a second police officer to the Waterford School District, with this officer being assigned to Clark Lane Middle School.

There is already a police officer assigned to Waterford High School full time. This second police officer will be assigned to Clark Lane Middle School full time, and will start in March, Pendleton said.

“I think it is the right thing to do,” Pendleton said.

Pendleton said there was a police officer assigned to Clark Lane Middle School a few years ago, although the chief pulled him after his duties were not clearly defined. Pendleton said the Newtown massacre in December factored into his decision.

“Sandy Hook has changed things,” he said.

Pendleton said he will assign a police officer already on his staff to the school, so it will not require a new position. He added that Connecticut’s General Assembly has just begun its legislative session and they could come out with more mandates that would require even more of a police presence in schools.

“We don’t even know what the state is going to do,” Pendleton said. “This is a work in progress.”

Pendleton said it was “to be determined” if police officers would play an increased role in Waterford’s three elementary schools. He said he made the decision to add another police officer after consulting with Waterford Superintendent Jerome Belair.

Right now, along with the police officer, there is a security guard at Waterford High School. In his budget proposal for the 2013-14 school year, Belair is proposing to add another security guard at the school.

Belair said his decision to add another security guard was made before the massacre at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School, although that event only reinforced his decision. He said students are moving into the , and another security guard is needed to patrol the larger building.