Full-Time Police Officer Being Considered for Taft School, Ferndale Police Chief Says

in Ferndale could have a full-time police officer assigned to the school in the near future, according to Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins.

Collins said a dialogue was started about a possible officer at Taft following the

include security cameras, increased police patrols at dismissal and reinforced staff protocols and procedures.

Collins said the police officer idea has been “very well received” so far. A meeting including Collins, Ferndale Schools superintendent Gary Meier and city management is expected to be held today to discuss the possibility.

Collins said he thinks having an officer assigned to the school would help with the “perceived criminality” and actual criminal activity there. The Daily Tribune reported this month that records from the school over the past several years show the facility has a long history of serious criminal activity since it opened in 2002 as an adult education center.

Though Collins said there is no “100 percent” solution, he said he believes an officer assigned to the school would help and would be much more effective than a security guard.

Collins said a police officer has been assigned at the /Middle School campus for more than 10 years – which he said simply makes sense from the perspective that it's the highest concentration of people in the city.

Collins said that has been a positive experience for the students and the officers who have been assigned there.

The position at Taft, if approved, could likely be filled by calling back one of the four Ferndale police officers who have been laid off, Collins said.

The high school officer is paid for by a 50/50 split between the city and school district, Collins said. Although the officer could potentially be assigned to other city duties during school breaks, Collins said the district would need to pay a higher percentage of the cost for a full-time officer at Taft. Those details will likely be discussed today, he said.