Amity Board of Education Chairman Paul Davis released this notice regarding security measures at District 5 schools:After a carefully considered and deliberate 3-year process, the Amity Regional School District will be transitioning some existing and qualified school security staff to armed school security officers. The addition of at least 1 armed school security officer in each of our school buildings was a goal of the Ad Hoc Amity School Security Committee.
The armed school security officer is not intended to replace the members of law enforcement who currently serve as School Resource Officers (SROs), but rather, to enhance safety in our schools during times when SROs and other law enforcement officials are not able to be in our school buildings. In addition to securing entry to the school, school security staff assist at
arrival and dismissal, monitor security cameras, hallways, and bathrooms, supervise the cafeteria and
parking lot, and assist in other non-instruction settings and events.
In 2013, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation allowing boards of education to employ retired police officers to provide school security services. These police officers must have retired in good standing from a local or the state police department and are required to participate annually in firearms training and training specific to the duties of a school security officer.
In spring 2019, the Amity Regional Board of Education the funding necessary to add armed school security officers to each of our schools. Concurrently, the Board Policy Committee developed both a policy and regulation on the requirements, duties, and use of both armed and unarmed school security officers.
Modeled from those developed by the Newtown Board of Education, both the policy and regulation were reviewed not only by the Board of Education, but also the Board’s legal counsel and our Bethany-Orange-Woodbridge law enforcement agencies.
The policy was passed in October 2020; the regulation has been modified and adjusted throughout summer 2022.
Beginning on October 1, 2022, the Amity Regional School District will have at minimum, one armed school security officer in each of our school buildings. Students are likely to know most of the armed guards, as several of our existing security staff met the statutory requirements to transition to the role of armed security guard.