Northwest ISD, city of Fort Worth agree to contract for school resource officers

The Northwest ISD board of trustees approved a contract with the city of Fort Worth to provide eight officers to serve as school resource officers at schools within the district’s borders.

The total contract, which was approved during the Sept. 26 meeting, is for more than $1.6 million, with a 50-50 split between NISD and the city of Fort Worth. NISD will pay a little more than $804,000 as part of the contract. The contract started on Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2023.

The schools covered include two officers at Eaton and Northwest high schools and one each at Adams, Pike, Tidwell and Wilson middle schools, according to Anthony Tosie, executive director of communications for NISD. He added that those officers would respond to incidents at elementary schools, if needed.

The cost of each additional officer, at the request of the district, would be $158,970 annually, according to the contract.

The command staff involved in the Fort Worth school resource officer program includes one detective, five sergeants, two relief officers and one lieutenant, who is in charge of the unit, in addition to the officers within the schools.

The agreement between NISD and Fort Worth also includes funding for the district’s share of the administrative operating fees and school resource officer-assigned patrol vehicles.

NISD approved contracts for school resource officers with Trophy Club, Roanoke and Wise County in August.