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Second school officer hired

Former police lieutenant serves his hometown

By Scott Bellile


A retired Appleton police lieutenant is going back to work as a liaison officer for New London schools.

Steve Elliott was sworn in as a part-time school resource officer by New London City Clerk Jackie Beyer at the city council chambers on Aug. 27.

Elliott’s hiring is part of an effort between New London Police Department and the School District of New London to ramp up police presence in educational facilities in an era when many Americans recognize the next school shooting is not a matter of if, but when.

Elliott acknowledges school safety has changed over the course of his law enforcement career.

“Certainly there’s much more of a threat regarding drugs, gangs and human trafficking, and sadly the school shootings that have occurred since, really, Columbine, are of huge concern,” Elliott said.

Beginning this fall, Elliott will work part-time at the four public elementary schools and New London Intermediate/Middle School, and regularly drop in to Emanuel Lutheran School and Most Precious Blood Catholic School.

A New London resident, Elliott worked for Appleton Police Department for 25 years. He retired as a lieutenant in March.

Since then, he remained busy facilitating human trafficking training on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and volunteering for New London First Responders. He is also a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Elliott said he applied for the SRO position because he always loved working with students. The position will allow him to build relationships with students and their families, actions that can improve school safety in his hometown.

He is married with three daughters who all attended school at MPB. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, camping, riding ATVs and making maple syrup.

NLPD is excited to have him join the department, Police Chief Jeff Schlueter said.

“We think he’s going to be a good match for us,” Schlueter said.

NLPD and the district each agreed to commit $15,000 of their budgets toward hiring two part-time SROs for the 2018-19 school year. The added personnel will increase the district’s annual SRO budget to $75,000.

The second part-time SRO will be hired and sworn in this month, Schlueter said.

The school district already employs a full-time SRO, Chris Dearth. Dearth previously split his time among all six schools when he worked alone, but city police officers and county sheriff’s deputies would also perform regular school walk-throughs.

Now, Dearth will work full-time at New London High School while the two new hires cover the rest of the schools. NLHS is considered the building at highest risk of violence.

As far as the part-time SROs, one will work at a given time. They will trade off working 24 hours one week and 16 the next, totaling about 720 hours per year each. They will be paid $20 per hour. Neither will receive benefits or union membership.

The part-time SROs’ duties will include providing security; presenting to students and faculty; handling matters relating to violations of school rules, bullying, drug and alcohol use and sexual abuse; assisting with the Police Explorer program; and managing Teen Court.

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