Plum hires new school police officer

Plum Borough School Board unanimously approved the appointment of Officer James Miller to the school district’s police department.

Miller, whose was hired at the board’s Oct. 25 meeting, will be stationed at Holiday Park Intermediate School for the remainder of this school year.

He has been a resident of Plum for 25 years and has volunteered in youth organizations across the area, including coaching local baseball and soccer teams, and serving as a Cubmaster and assistant Scoutmaster, in addition to his work with various civic organizations across the area.

Miller has been an officer for 27 years, the past 26 with the Plum Borough Police Department as a patrol supervisor, field training officer, evidence control supervisor, and certified firearms instructor and rangemaster. He spent his first year as an officer with the Braddock Hills Police Department after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.

”Although my municipal law enforcement career is coming to a close, I desire to continue serving my home of Plum Borough,” Miller said in the school district’s press release. “Given my professional and personal experience with the community, I believe that I would be an asset to the Plum Borough School District as a School Police Officer.”

Miller has extensive experience with the juvenile justice system, and has been trained and practiced within the Crisis Intervention Team established by Allegheny County, which led to him working extensively with agencies outside of law enforcement to assist families and individuals in need or in crisis. He also has received significant training in police response to school-related incidents.