School resource officer leaves for better pay

By John Basilesco
Staff Writer

May 09, 2008 05:55 am

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PELHAM — The town's three schools will have to get by without a school resource officer for the rest of this school year and part of next year with the departure of Mike Marshall.

The Lowell, Mass., resident has been Pelham's full-time school resource officer since September, but he has taken a job with the Lowell Police Department. He left last week.

"I'm certainly sorry to see him go," Chief Joseph Roark said. "He was a compassionate, hardworking police officer. It will be difficult to replace him."

But Marshall's replacement will be assigned to a regular patrol shift, and the school resource officer's job will be left unfilled until at least next spring. Roark said he plans to assign Marshall's replacement to a regular patrol job on the midnight shift as a result of the March vote against hiring an additional officer.

"I really need to bolster the 12 to 8 shift and his replacement will be assigned to that shift," Roark said.

The chief said he plans to recommend placing a warrant article on the ballot next March, asking voters to approve hiring a school resource officer.

Alicia LaFrance, principal of Pelham Elementary School, said Marshall will be greatly missed.

"Most recently, he coordinated an Internet safety assembly for our fourth- and fifth-grade students with peer outreach students from Pelham High School," she said. "Whenever we needed him to speak to students in regard to bullying and safety concerns, he was always available."

Roark said he is worried other officers will follow Marshall's lead and take higher-paying jobs elsewhere after voters rejected a four-year police contract in March.

Marshall began looking for a higher-paying job after that vote, Roark said. Marshall was among the officers who haven't had a pay raise in three years, Roark said.

Selectmen have voted to bring another police contract proposal to voters next year. With police salaries that are no longer competitive, Roark said, he is worried about losing more officers, three of whom are candidates for higher-paying jobs elsewhere, including one who may become a police officer in neighboring Windham.

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