NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department will have a prevention resource officer next school year at the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center following the approval of the Hancock County Commission on Thursday.

The commissioners approved an agreement with the Hancock County Board of Education allowing a PRO in the county’s schools, including Allison Elementary, New Manchester Elementary, Oak Glen middle and high schools and now the career center.

The officer’s duties include performing law enforcement functions within the school setting; identifying and preventing delinquent behavior; fostering a better understanding of the law enforcement function; developing a better appreciation of citizen’s rights, obligations and responsibilities; provide information on crime prevention; assistant and support crime victims identified at school; promote positive relations among the students, staff and officers; enhance knowledge of the concepts and structures of law; and help familiarize others about confidentiality requirements.

Also, the resource officer will be required to be on duty during school hours, but is not required to attend extracurricular activities or leave his or her jurisdiction.

The school board during the March 26 meeting approved the resource office issue after addressing school security, taking into consideration recent threats and shootings around the nation.

According to Commissioner Joe Barnabei, the school district will cover the bulk of the costs for the officers.

“This particular agreement, this would be a new spot at the career center, and the Hancock County Board of Education has agreed to assume pretty much the total liability for that,” Barnabei said. “So, this is going to come at a minimum cost for the county.”

Barnabei thanked Superintendent Tim Woodward, who attended Thursday’s meeting, for his insights.

The agreement will go into effect July 1.

In other business, the commissioners:

¯ Approved a request from the sheriff’s department to hire a probationary deputy, a newly created position.

¯ Approved a grant agreement with the W.Va. Commission on Drunk Driving through the W.Va. State Police. As part of the agreement, officers participating in the program will be required to fill out an enforcement activity data report at the end of each patrol and forward the form to his or her agency’s project director, who will check it for accuracy and forward it to the commission on a weekly basis. Officers will be required, as part of the grant, to attend DMV administrative hearings and to provide testimony.