Fairfield Independent School District will start its own police department as soon as it can advertise for and fill a position for an officer.

The FISD board of trustees decided last week to sever ties with Fairfield Police Department which has provided a School Resource Officer for the past several years.

Although that officer was a FPD employee, he was assigned almost exclusively to the schools which reimbursed the city for salary, benefits and other costs—-the district bought a patrol car last year—-to the tune of $72,000 annually.

Major benefit of the district organizing its own police department is that the officer, or officers, will have jurisdiction throughout the school district and also when accompanying school groups out of town.

Currently, FISD superintendent Katie Ryan explains, jurisdiction for the SRO working the school beat ends at the city limits.

A couple of other advantages are that the officer will answer to only one boss and will not be required to divide time between the city and district as needs have dictated in the past.

"We are going to do it as soon and efficiently as possible," FISD board president Ossie Outlaw says of organizing the department.

The district must advertise to hire an officer and interview candidates, a process that will take a few weeks.

Outlaw reports that the district possibly will hire two officers to work the school campuses which will expand to four when the intermediate school opens in 2010.