Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred Brown has announced a partnership with several local school districts to provide school security officers.

Brown addressed a gathering last month hosted by Safe in Hunterdon, where he provided an overview of a new program to assist school districts that are in need of Special Law Enforcement Officer Class III positions.

The officers are authorized to exercise full powers and duties similar to those of a regularly appointed full-time police officer, while providing security at a public school, on school premises, during hours when the public school is normally in session.

A SLEO III must be a retired police officer who has previously served a duly qualified, full time law enforcement officer in any municipality, county, agency of this state, bi-state agency, or federal agency, and must not be retired for more than within three years prior to appointment to the position.

Brown says his office worked with the New Jersey State Police to get the partnership started. The Hunterdon Sherriff's Office currently has officers stationed at the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, East Amwell School District and Delaware Valley Regional High School.