South Central Reporter

The Greenville City Council approved changes to their police department during a meeting held on March 14.

The Council had two items related to the Greenville Police Department on their agenda for the meeting. The first was an intergovernmental agreement between Greenville and the Bond County Unit #2 School District for a School Resource Officer (SRO) set to go into effect in Fall 2023. Neither Greenville nor the school district has ever taken part in an SRO program, but the idea has become more popular across both Illinois and the United States as a means to increase student safety and build relationships between the younger generations and law enforcement.

"I wish we didn't need it," Councilmember Lisa Stephens said. "But in today's world, this is something that we feel inclined that we need as many, many other schools do, too. I think it's awesome that a police officer can gain rapport and relationships with the students. I find that very useful."

The SRO agreement structure involves Greenville and the school district sharing the cost of the officer's wage and benefits. The district will pay approximately $42,000 towards all expenses accrued for employing the officer, while the City will pay the remaining $21,000 plus insurance, pension and benefits expenses in accordance with the 2/3 school, 1/3 city payment agreement. The officer will work during school hours while acting as a city employee and will rotate between district schools. They won't work at the schools on school holidays or teachers' days off, and any after-school activities will still rely on preexisting means of requesting officer support, as they fall outside the responsibility of the SRO. The city has already identified the new SRO as Officer Taylor Hill and will be seeking a replacement for him on the regular city police force once he begins his new role in the fall.

The Council also approved an architectural agreement focused on renovating the police department building. The City purchased a new building for use as City Hall and will use the current one as the new police headquarters. The agreement also included drawings and plans for each building, both valued at under $40,000. Council members agreed that a new police department was needed after hearing of a police officer having to eat lunch at his desk only a few feet away from a suspect handcuffed to a chair due to a lack of space.