VILLAGE OF WATERFORD — Hours after a shooting at Waukesha South High School, Waterford's Village Board approved emergency funding for a school resource officer at the high school.
"I think they certainly raised top-of-mind awareness about how things can hit close to home. We’re a very small community but that doesn’t mean bad things can’t happen here," said village administrator Zeke Jackson.
Jackson said one of the trustees brought it up right before the meeting Monday night. They later authorized $45,000 for the temporary position.
By Tuesday morning Town of Waterford Police had officers at the high school.
"They've told us that they've noticed a sense of relief with the students and staff knowing that were there and seeing us there," said Sgt. William Jeschke.
The department hopes the change becomes permanent.
"I haven't had to worry about it until recently," said Cathi Puchi, a mother at Waterford Union High school.
She says while there have not been any serious incidents at the school, she is happy to hear an SRO was deployed this week.
Puchi added she went to Waukesha South herself, and Monday's shooting hit close to home.
"It makes me a little bit more at ease knowing that there's going to be somebody here who's trained to handle situations as well as they did in Waukesha," said Puchi.
With multiple communities feeding into the high school funding for a permanent SRO has been an ongoing issue. It has been years since the high school had an SRO.
"Why now? Everybody looks around and says I won't get in a car accident on the way home nobody's gonna break into my house tonight it's always gonna happen to somebody else. The reality is that it's happened to somebody. We want to make sure it doesn't happen here," said Village President Don Houston.
The village hopes neighboring communities help them cover the cost.
The change is a temporary solution. The school still has to consider bringing a referendum to fund a full-time SRO.
