LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — The Saucon Valley School Board is set to make a decision “in the coming weeks” on whether or not to keep a school resource officer on campus, according to Lower Saucon Police Chief Thomas Barndt.
Barnt told township council on Wednesday he met with Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty and school Business Manager David Bonenberger last month on the matter, which was “well received.”
“On Monday, April 29, Mrs. Vlasaty informed me that an update was provided to the board level, and a school resource officer will be … one of the options considered for the 2024-2025 school year,” Barndt said.
After three bomb threats across three days in March shuttered Saucon Valley schools — leading to two separate searches of the campus, no explosives found and two juveniles charged — township supervisors requested Barndt make a case for a dedicated officer on site.
“On Monday, April 29, Mrs. Vlasaty informed me that an update was provided to the board level, and a school resource officer will be … one of the options considered for the 2024-2025 school year."Lower Saucon Township Police Chief Thomas Barndt
Council agreed in April that if a resource officer was ultimately brought on, the township would handle 25% of the salary, while the school district should pay the other 75%.
Barndt said he fully supported an SRO for the school district, and said previously that he’d be in favor of hiring a dedicated officer to the township ranks to fill that role for its required nine months out of the year.
The 106-acre Saucon Valley campus is home to the high school, middle school and elementary school facilities under one roof.
There’s currently two security specialists on site during any given day, according to Barndt.
A 'favorable development'
Lower Saucon Councilman Jason Banonis said he saw the update from the chief as a “favorable development,” all to streamline police services for the schools if the need should arise.
“I hope that the discussions and the dialogue continue,” Banonis said.
“It would be great to have somebody there on site to be able to provide an immediate response.”
“I hope that the discussions and the dialogue continue. It would be great to have somebody there on site to be able to provide an immediate response.”Lower Saucon Township Councilman Jason Banonis
With Lower Saucon’s primary backup, the Hellertown Police Department, currently undergoing its search for a new chief and an operations overhaul, Councilman Thomas Carocci said having an SRO handy would only make sense — especially since calls for service at the school are routed first to LSTPD anyway.
“There’s some problems down there, as this report that was issued on Monday states,” Carocci said.
“I just think if we had a resource officer, we wouldn’t be as reliant on this backup that seems a little bit unreliable, to say the least.”
