SCOTT COUNTY, Ind. (WHAS11) -- Do elementary schools need school resource officers? That question is now the talk of the town in Scott County, Indiana.
Schools out for summer in Scott County but in a short seven weeks, the students will be back and if Sheriff Kenny Hughbanks has his way, they won't be alone.
"Our children are our future and if we don't protect our future, we're not doing right by the citizens,” Hughbanks said.
Hughbanks wants to hire three school resource officers for the three county elementary schools. The schools within the city school district already have them.
The officers would serve as mentors during the day to day and protection in the face of the unthinkable, according to Hughbanks.
He said, "We've got the longest response times in the county to these outlying elementary schools, so if something heaven forbid, does happen at one of these school, we can't get there quick."
With only two officers assigned to any given shift, the sheriff worries about response time.
The closest school, Vienna-Finley Elementary is about an 8-minute drive from the sheriff's office.
Johnson Elementary school is a 10-minute drive, and Lexington Elementary is 15 minutes away from the sheriff’s department.
The sheriff said those times could be deadly during a disaster.
"This is a fight that I'm going to continue to fight,” Hughbanks said.
His fight is now in the hands of the county commissioner, who could finalize a contract and then present that contract to the county council, who would vote to approve it.
So far, no agreements have been made.
Council President Mike Zollman wouldn't talk to WHAS11 on camera but gave us a statement that reads:
"We believe our most precious resources are in that school building every day. So, we will make that building as safe as we can by 2019 if not sooner."
According to Hughbanks, money from the positions are there. But he's worried the county won't move quick enough so he’s asking the community to help protect its kids.
He said, "Be at our commissioner's meetings, be at our council meetings, show them that you are behind this... these kids deserve that."
All of the key players in this issue will be meeting in an executive session later this week.