Westfield Seeks Input on Armed School Resource Officer

Board of Education candidate Jonathan Blitt, chief executive officer of Aztec Software, has developed a survey designed to elicit input from residents regarding the proposed reinstatement of a school resource officer position at Westfield High School.

"I would just like the readers to know that they have the right to be notified and polled regarding all major issues in order that their elected officials can best represent their wishes," Blitt told Patch. "It is obviously not practical to run any organization making every decision by committee but the reason we have elected representatives in the first place is to ensure that our interests and needs are considered and met. Democracy is a two way street though, and we should expect that those who we have given our trust inform us of major concerns."

That survey is available via text by sending the message "BOE" to 88215. It is also available here.

Tuesday's Board of Education meeting was dominated by questions from concerned parents as well as Board members seeking more information about the position, which would place an armed law enforcement officer on duty at WHS in the 2013-2014 school year. While the

During budget talks held in March and April, the Board looked at reinstating the school resource officer position at an approximate cost of $100,000 which would be borne equally by the district and the Town of Westfield. Still, many residents said they were caught off guard by the proposal. Westfield schools superintendent Margaret Dolan insisted that notion of bringing an armed law enforcement officer into the district was not a new one nor is it based on recent events such as the Sandy Hook shooting. The position had been in place for at least a decade but was eliminated over five years ago due to budget cuts. 

"This is not something new; this is not a reaction to anything," she said at the meeting. "It was a successful position in the high school that was part of the fabric of Westfield High School. This is not a recommendation that is being made lightly."

Blitt is asking that residents complete the survey.

Check back with Patch for survey results prior to the June 24 meeting.