Killingly armed security guards hiring hits another snag

There is no guarantee armed security guards will on the job inside Killingly schools this school year, though town officials said the new hires may begin work sooner – just without weapons. 

The town began soliciting applications for five open armed security officers, or ASOs, in December, about a month after the Town Council approved a memorandum of agreement with the school district that laid out operational and other guidelines for the new hires. 

Town Manager Mary Calorio on Monday said she received four applications during the first round of advertising with two applicants making their way to the interview phase. 

“I wasn’t overly shocked we didn’t get a larger applicant pool since December, with Christmas and the holidays, isn't the best time for advertising,” she said. “We began re-advertising about two weeks ago at the same $28-$30 per hour range and we’ll start reviewing those applications soon.” 

Calorio said several other non-ASO job openings posted during that same December advertising period also failed to yield significant applicant interest. 

Background:Killingly can start hiring armed school guards, but questions remain. Here's what we know.

Armed security officer requirements

Under a plan approved by the Board of Education in August, five ASOs – which must be pulled from former police or state trooper ranks – are slated to be stationed at the district’s high school, intermediate school, two elementary schools and early childhood center. 

In order to qualify for the job, applicants must pass a background check that includes a drug screen, physical and certification check. Once hired, the officers must still undergo weapons qualifications training before they can carry weapons inside the schools. 

But even if five qualified applicants were immediately hired, it might not be until after the summer before they could be issued weapons, Calorio said. 

“There’s a state-run course typically held once a year during the summer that all ASOs must first pass that includes training on the use of deadly force and child-specific de-escalation techniques,” she said. “That’s one of the pieces we don’t have a lot of control over. I’ve been talking with the state about them holding a substitution or make-up course earlier than the summer, but that course needs to be taken before a weapon can be carried in a school.” 

Officers may start at schools before being weapon-certified

Calorio said there are plans being worked out to get the guards working at their assigned schools earlier, just without weapons. 

“It’s going to take some time,” she said. 

The decision on which officer gets assigned to a particular school is dependent on a host of factors, Calorio said.  

“One priority was to first assign to the high school and then down though the lower grades,” she said. “But we’re also looking to match an ASO with the right student age group. We could have an applicant that specifically wants to work with younger kids and right now we have the flexibility to do that.” 

More:Killingly's school board approved armed guards in August. Here's why there aren't any yet.

During the school board’s Jan. 25 regular meeting, a brief update on the ASO process was provided to members as part of a preliminary 2023-24 budget discussion. Superintendent Robert Angeli said the two applicants being considered are former state troopers who worked locally “at least for part of their careers.” 

Member Jason Muscara, a vocal advocate of introducing armed security officers into the district's schools, said he was frustrated by the slow pace of the hires. 

“I knew this would be an issue, trying to find candidates and that’s why I mentioned my disapproval for how long this process is taking,” he said, noting he’d seen postings by other school districts seeking the same armed guard applicants being sought in Killingly. 

“I saw this coming and I think other members saw this coming,” he said. “We’re beyond that now, so hopefully now we can get applicants for these positions.” 

As he has previously, Muscara said the town of Putnam moved relatively quickly to get armed security into its schools this school year after a June referendum on the plan.  

But unlike in Killingly, that vote – and the subsequent hiring of three full-time and one part-time school security officers - came only after more than a month of intense discussions involving Putnam town, school, finance and police officials. 

Under the jointly approved Killingly ASO agreement, officers will be responsible for patrolling school grounds and buildings; monitoring campus cameras; checking for unauthorized individuals and items; be available to speak with students, staff and parents; and intervene in certain circumstances. 

The ASOs would be hired as 10-month town employees to coincide with the school year and operate under the auspices of the town’s law enforcement division, with Calorio holding final hiring and firing power. 

The school board will reimburse the town quarterly for any costs associated with the hires, including start-up equipment purchases such as weapons and uniforms. 

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965.