HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WETM) – The Village of Horseheads Police Department will no longer be offering the School Resources Officer program at the Horseheads Central School District.

Due to staffing issues, the Horseheads Central School District Superintendent and District Board of Education were notified by the Village of Horseheads Police Department that they will no longer be offering their service to the district.

According to Police Chief Michael Suhey, “With the recent rapid expansion of the program over the past year HPD cannot provide the needed personnel for all six buildings within the district. Staffing SRO vacancies with full-time officers is not an option as it would severely jeopardize the department’s ability to provide the police services for the Village.”

Because of the department’s mission to provide highly qualified officers for the protection and security of the Horseheads students, faculty and staff at all of the district schools, the department believes that another law enforcement agency would be better suited to provide the service to the District — specifically the Chemung County Sheriff’s Department.

The Village Manager, Mayor and Trustees support the police department’s decision to discontinue the SRO program. The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office will be taking over the program for the upcoming school year.

Chief Suhey said that the department will remain the primary responding agency to emergency calls within the Village of Horseheads in a letter to the District.