FREEHOLD – In a move aimed at increasing safety for students and staff members at Freehold High School, a shared service agreement has been authorized between the Borough Council and the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education for a special law enforcement officer.
On Dec. 17, council members passed a resolution authorizing the shared service agreement with the school board.
Under the agreement, Freehold Borough will provide one part-time Class II special law enforcement officer who will be assigned to Freehold High School, the borough’s high school in the regional district. The Class II officer will be managed and employed by the Freehold Borough Police Department.
According to the resolution, the council and the board agreed that the number of Class II officers at the school may be increased if deemed necessary. The purpose of the agreement is to provide a police presence at the high school and to enhance and contribute to occupant safety and building safety.
“This agreement will make Freehold High School a safer place for the staff and the young men and women there,” Councilman Michael DiBenedetto said. “We can’t make it 100 percent secure, but I think the governing body today has taken a step toward trying to be 100 percent.
“I hope the superintendent and the administration of the regional district continue to look for other avenues and branches into the law enforcement field, with professionals trying to make it a more secure and a safer place to learn,” DiBenedetto said.
Council members also authorized shared services agreements with Freehold Township for the following: the sale of parking spaces at the Schibanoff Road commuter lot for Freehold Borough residents, licensed treatment plant operational services for Freehold Borough’s water and sewer utilities, information technology services, health services, substance abuse prevention and counseling services, regional animal control, and automotive services.
And, the council passed a resolution waiving required parking permits and parking fees at parking facilities owned and operated by the municipality for volunteers of St. Peter’s Church, Throckmorton Street, and employees of the Freehold Public Library, East Main Street, for 2019.
Finally, council members confirmed the appointment of Kyle Potochar as a member of the Freehold Fire Department, Richardson Engine Company No. 2.
