The Middletown Police Department is making its presence felt as the new school year gets underway. Parents, students and teachers can expect armed retired police officers in their buildings through at least the end of the academic year.

“This is something we’ve been working on for four years now and despite the rain, I wouldn’t miss this opportunity to see how we now have all across our schools, police officers in every one of Middletown‘s 16 public schools,” says Mayor Tony Perry.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the measure.

There will now be a police officer in each of the district's 16 schools after hiring 12 new armed officers. They are considered Class III officers and must have retired within the past three years and be less than 65 years old.

“Sixteen public schools,” says Perry. “We have class threes in currently 12 of them. The rest are for the first week guarded by regular police officers until our Class III police officers finalize that part of their training. We’ve always had security guards here at the schools, but now to have that Class III is just that added protection.”

Perry says the decision is more than just an added layer of protection but believes it’s a model for what school districts should be doing throughout New Jersey and around the country.  

“Yeah, I think it’s definitely a great decision to do that, so, I feel safer with them in school,” says Eileen Henry, of Middletown.

The town is home to the largest kindergarten through 12th grade district in Monmouth County at over 9,200 students.