Improved School Safety by Increasing Pool of Security Officers

BY NM Senate Republican Office

Santa Fe— Students and school personnel could be better protected on school grounds if there a larger pool of experience security guards for school officials to hire from.

 

Retired police officers are more likely to apply for the paid school security positions if they are allowed to continue  receiving cost-of-living or COLA increases to their retirement salaries.

 

“I want our kids to be as safe as possible. I want to reduce as many barriers as possible to help us bring in officers who are trained and ready to  protect our children and our schools,” Senator Brandt said. “ I see this as a huge benefit to our schools, these officers would not need much training because from their experience, they know what they are doing.”

 

SB148 amends the Public Employee Retirement Act (Section 10-11-8 NMSA) and (Section

10-11-118 NMSA) thus allowing ‘cost-of-living’ (COLA) adjustment increases to accrue for retired

law enforcement officers hired as school security personnel.

 

The recommendation came from meetings after the school shooting in Aztec in December of 2017.

 

The Senate Education Committee gave the bill a do pass.