Club Would Help Pay for Deputy at School

The Moorpark Rotary Club has offered the city $10,000 to help pay for a uniformed deputy who would be stationed at the high school next year.

Club President Steve Sill, who made the proposal Wednesday to the City Council, said it has nothing to do with the recent bomb threats and juvenile arrests at local schools.

“I have had the desire to see this happen for about a year and a half,” he said.

“With the tragedy in Littleton, it just seemed to punctuate the timing of the thing.”

Most of the funding would come from the Rotary Club’s Monster Maze fund-raiser in October.

Still said the deputy might teach courses at the high school while serving as a resource to students and faculty.

“There’s a myriad of things an officer on campus can do, but his primary responsibility would not be teaching.

His primary responsibility would be to be visible on campus,” he said.

“His or her presence would be a deterrent to any kind of violent activity on campus, and he would certainly be on-site to handle truancy issues, drug use and that type of thing.”

It costs about $110,000 to hire a full-time officer, he said.

The council did not take action on the proposal, but Moorpark High School Principal Max Friedman said he would welcome the addition of a law enforcement officer.

“It’s a very positive thing to do,” he said.

“It’s a good resource for the kids to interact with the officer in a positive atmosphere. I’ve had them at other schools I’ve been at, and the officer becomes an integral part of the campus and staff.”