South Jersey Town Providing Schools Full-Time Police Protection

By David Madden

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Evesham Township will pick up the half million dollar cost to provide police officers at all of its public schools next year.

Cops have been patrolling nine elementary and middle schools in the township since December, following an incident outside one school involving a student with a fake gun.

The cost has been split between the township and the school district. Mayor Randy Brown says the township is making the move, in effect, to keep taxes down:

"The school board was going to vote on a 700 thousand dollar public referendum which would, of course, raise our property taxes."

Brown insists the township can absorb the cost of the patrols without hiking its own taxes. In fact, he says the town is working on lowering them. The proposal will cover the 2016-17 school year.