Steep budget cuts totaling $453,983 forced the Meriden Police Department to pull three police officers out of the schools in September and put them back on patrol.
It was the first time in almost 20 years that Lincoln Middle School didn’t have a police officer in the school every day. After three months, the city council was able to find enough money elsewhere in the budget and reinstate the school resource officers to Lincoln Middle School and Washington Middle School. Monday was their first day back.
One of those officers was Thomas Giannakopoulos.
“I’m grateful to be here and whoever had to move anything around to get me back, I’m happy to be back,” Officer Giannakopoulos said.
The principal of Lincoln Middle School, Dianne Vumback, said losing the school resource officer meant so much more than a loss of safety and security.
“He’s certainly a first responder. But when he was gone it was noticeable because he has such a positive influence on our students every day, either greeting them first thing in the morning, helping them solve a problem or eating lunch with them in the cafeteria,” Vumback said.
The city council was able to free up $60,000 for other city departments to pay for two of the officers to return to each of the middle schools. Students at Lincoln Middle School said they were thrilled to have Officer Giannakopoulos return this week.
Local
The city council is now being asked to find money to bring back some of the community police officers as part of the Neighborhood Initiative Program.
- $10,122.71 from Legal Administrative
- $3,859.49 from Engineering Administrative
- $23,385.60 from Engineering Supervisors
- $4,284.80 from Emergency Communications - MME
- $5,501.33 from Health & Human Services
- $1,350.40 from Development & Enforcement – MME
- $5,848 from Library – MME
- $6,172.50 from Park & Rec – Public Works
- TOTAL - $60,525 for the 2 school resource officers at Washington & Lincoln Middle Schools
This did not cover the school resource officer returning to the elementary schools.
