Police in HHS to quell mischief

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Off-duty Harrisburg Police officers and Saline County Sheriff's deputies will be familiar faces in Harrisburg High School this year.

Police Chief Bob Smith said the school has requested an officer to patrol the hallways, possibly until the end of the year, in order to quell a rise in mischief.

Superintendent Dennis Smith said the police presence will be kept "through spring break and possibly through the end of the year."

Chief Smith said students have brought to school devices designed to deliver an electric shock and engaged in other bad behavior that could cause disruptions at the least and criminal charges at the most. Superintendent Smith said there is a rise in belligerence that needs a strong response from school officials.

"We've had to call law enforcement several times lately," Superintendent Smith said.

The superintendent said he decided to act after hearing concerns from Principal Karen Crank and Assistant Principal Randy Smithpeters.

The program went into effect Monday. Chief Smith said he has heard concerns from parents and hopes to reassure them the officers' presence is intended only to deter possible misbehavior.

"There is no threat of any type of incident," Chief Smith said.

The program will cost the school district $16 per hour and couldn't come at a more inconvenient time for a school district looking to cut expenses.

"The timing is awful when we're looking at dismissing teachers, but without a secure environment it doesn't matter how many teachers you have," Dennis Smith said.