By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Taking two police officers out of Auburn schools has increased the number of juvenile assaults, according to Police Chief Richard Small.

Small urged councilors to reinstate two community service officers, putting full-time officers back in Auburn Middle School and Edward Little High School.

“I had to make a tough decision last year,” Small told city councilors Monday. “I decided to take those officers out and it just goes to show, we need to put them back.”

Small and his staff presented the department’s proposed budget to city councilors Monday. His budget calls for a $150,000 increase in spending. That includes a $40,000 increase for new police cruisers and $63,960 to put the two officers back in Auburn’s schools.

The city cut the two positions last year during budget discussions. The department had two vacant patrol positions at the time. Rather than hire new patrol officers, Small replaced them with the resource officers. One officer was left to work with students in Auburn elementary schools.

Since then, the schools have seen a 36 percent increase in juvenile assault, according to Deputy Chief Phil Crowell, a 29 percent increase in arrests of seventh- and eight-graders and a 25 percent increase in assaults and disorderly conducts for ninth- through 12th-grade students.

Meanwhile, assaults involving sixth-grade students and younger decreased 34 percent.

“The teachers tell us, there is a real climate change in a school when there is an officer present,” he said. “There doesn’t even have to be an incident. Students feel better. There is just a calmer feeling when there is an officer there on a regular basis.”

Crowell also made a pitch to create a public safety fee to pay for new equipment. The department has collected $406,940 in state and federal grants over the last four years. That money has paid for new rifles, bicycle equipment and training, bulletproof vests, computer upgrades and new programs. But many of those grants appear to be drying up, he said.

He suggested councilors create a committee to consider charging a fee to new developments to pay for some of that equipment.

Councilors said the idea might be worth discussing, and not just for police.

“I’d like to investigate a formula for dividing the fee up between departments,” said Councilor Eric Samson. That money could pay for police, fire and public works equipment.

Meanwhile, councilors struggled to come to terms with their 2006 budget. As it stands, the budget calls for a 6 percent increase in spending and 7.2 percent more in property taxes. That’s too much, councilors agreed.

“I’m sure we can do better, somehow,” said Councilor Bob Mennealy.

Councilors will continue working on their budget next Monday with a public hearing. Councilors need to adopt the final budget in June.