Armed Cops At Tenafly Schools On Hold…

After recommending Tenafly’s school district hire special law enforcement officers for its six schools at the Dec. 10, 2018, meeting, the school superintendent decided to hold off on that recommendation following a chorus of opposition from parents strongly against full-time armed police officers in schools.

Plan To Hire Armed Cops At Tenafly Schools On Hold

While Schools Superintendent Shauna DeMarco was adamant Dec. 10 about the value of having an armed officer in each Tenafly school—several times highlighting the importance of an on-site armed first responder during an active shooter situation—she said at the Jan. 7 school board meeting that she did “not assess this to be the proper time to move forward on this” due to public opposition and her desire to accomplish other educational, curriculum, parent engagement and professional development goals for the district.

DeMarco told Northern Valley Press Jan. 4 that she would not be proposing a motion at the Jan. 7 meeting to budget for the officers, estimated at $350,000 for year one, and about $300,000 for each following year.

She said she made clear her views favoring the hiring of Class III, or special law enforcement officers, and was asked after she was hired to provide a public presentation by school board members.

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BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS