HACKENSACK

Hackensack creates special law enforcement officer position to protect city schools

NorthJersey

Hackensack schools will soon have their own armed guards, making the city the latest community in North Jersey to adopt more stringent safety protocols in their schools following the Parkland shooting earlier this year.

The City Council this week established the position of Class III Special Law Enforcement Officers, or retired cops tasked with protecting city schools. Officials said one officer has been hired for the post and begins training Wednesday. The council anticipates hiring seven more officers to man the city's eight schools in coming weeks.

"The mass shooting in Florida has really established the notion of putting retired law enforcement officers in schools to protect kids," Ted Ehrenburg, the city manager and a former police chief, said. "Unfortunately this problem doesn't seem to be getting better. It is getting worse and worse. In Hackensack, we chose to take a proactive approach."

After the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died — including a 14-year-old Woodcliff Lake native — school districts across the country began to re-evaluate their security measures. Communities began taking steps to hire Class III special officers, who must meet a state-mandated criteria to qualify for the job.

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Hiring the police officers to guard the schools came out of a rare collaboration between the City Council and the Board of Education, which are controlled by opposing political factions that have often been at odds.

"It's a position that we have to have. We're in a different world now compared to when we grew up, and the safety of our schools and students, who are residents of this city, too, is paramount," board President Lara Rodriguez said. "This is one of those issues that the board and council are both on the same page about, for the safety of our students."

Deputy Mayor Kathy Canestrino said the officers will bring an added layer of protection to the schools, some of which already have school resource officers.

"Safety of all our residents, especially our children, is a primary concern for the city. It's a step in the right direction," Canestrino said. "Unfortunately, the changing times today necessitate this type of protection for our teachers, residents and students."

Special officers must be retired police and no older than 65-years-old, said Ehrenburg. They must also have retired in good standing and within the last three years, so that their Police Training Commission certification is active, he added.

Gerard Marinelli, the city police director who was hired in June, said the special officers are required to undergo the same background checks, physical and psychological tests as full-time city police officers. The special officers, who have full police power, will only be assigned to the district's schools, he said.

"They need to be hired and go through the same rigorous background checks as our full-time officers," Marinelli said. "We did not deviate from that."

There is no anticipated date for when the one officer hired for the post will be dispatched to the schools, but the officer is expected to rotate his patrols between city schools.

Officials anticipate hiring seven additional officers to man the district's eight schools. The city is actively searching for qualified candidates, Marinelli said.

The City Council adopted an ordinance establishing the Class III position on Tuesday night. The Council also amended city code to clarify the authority that the city's top cop would have over the special law enforcement officers.

The Class III officers will be paid at a minimum rate of $30 per hour, and no more than $35, according to the resolution. A Class III officer will also be authorized to carry a weapon after completing necessary firearms courses to qualify.