lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

During the Danville City Commission meeting on July 8, the commission passed a resolution to provide Danville Christian Academy with a school resource officer. The contract will have a cost of $80,000 to Danville taxpayers over three years.

City Manager Earl Coffey explained that although DCA is a private school, it is inside of Danville city limits and the city provides services to other private entities within its limits.

“It is the standard contract we have offered all other schools,” Coffey said. “It makes total sense for us to provide police services for any entity inside city limits, just like we do Walmart. When they need special services for Black Friday we provide those no questions asked. That is what we do, public or private within the city.”

Coffey went on to say that he understood the debate of private and public funding.

“I get that debate, but we have to provide law enforcement in our city limits,” Coffey said. “Anytime there is activity like a car being broken into, Danville Police investigate that. It is more efficient as far as staff time to have a Danville officer there.”

Police Chief Tony Gray explained having a Danville Police Officer present at the school could save lives in an emergency.

“If there is an incident at any of the Boyle or Danville schools we are going to go,” Gray said. “We will probably be the quickest responding agency for the six counties around us in a school shooting, period. Already having an officer there gives us a leg up on the incident.”

In other news from the meeting, the commission passed the second reading of Ordinance 2034 which amends the 2024 Fiscal Year budget to match the final numbers of the fiscal year.