SPS names Greene County officer director of police

Springfield Public Schools has selected Greene County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Jim Farrell as director of school police.

Farrell, who currently serves in the administrative services division and has over 20 years experience at the department, will earn a salary of $84,909 at SPS, said spokeswoman Teresa Bledsoe. The hiring is subject to SPS Board of Education approval.

Farrell succeeds Tom Tucker, who is scheduled to retire June 30, according to a news release.

"Jim has in-depth knowledge of the Springfield area and its schools," said Justin Herrell, associate superintendent of secondary education, in the release. "Coupled with his excellent working knowledge of emergency procedures related to school security, Jim was an obvious choice to lead district efforts in providing a safe environment for staff and students."

At the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Farrell started as a corrections officer and rose in the ranks to his current position.

For SPS, Farrell will manage the district’s school police force of 20 commissioned officers and serve as liaison between the schools and local law enforcement agencies, Bledsoe said.