Superintendent Byler: Finding resource officers is the problem, not the funding

The Vermilion Parish School Superintendent thinks it is an excellent idea for the Louisiana Legislature to pay resource officers in schools. Still, there is one slight problem with that idea.
How are schools going to find these school resource officers? Despite having the funds to pay them, Vermilion Parish is still looking for high school resource officers today.
“Funding would help, but it is more of a human capital issue at this point,” said Superintendent Tommy Byler. “Maybe increasing funding (for resource officers) could draw more interest in these positions.”
A school resource officer is a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority who an employing police department or agency deploys in a community-oriented policing assignment to collaborate with one or more schools. In other words, they are a trained police officer certified to carry a weapon.
The parish school district tries to use police officers from the Abbeville Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, or retired officers.
However, the Abbeville Police Department can not spare an officer during the day, so Abbeville High has a school safety officer.
Gueydan schools and Kaplan schools have officers who visit the schools throughout the day.
Resource officers are at North Vermilion High School and middle school, J.H. Williams Middle School in Abbeville, and Erath High and Erath Middle School.