'We need some type of law enforcement here all the time'

After Tuesday's school lockdown, a Milton Police officer was on hand for Wednesday's school day. (Rochester Voice photo)

MILTON - Wanda Sprague of Milton thinks it's time to have a police officer stationed at Nute High School and Library.

Sprague, who stopped by to get one of her grandchildren at Nute High on Wednesday, expressed bitter frustration over the school's lack of security in the wake of this week's two forced lockdowns, one in which a former student gained access to the interior of the school beyond the front office.

Guerdon Zerbinopoulos, 18, of Milton, a former student, was charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct after his refusal to leave school grounds triggered a lockdown on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday another lockdown was triggered when a student thought they saw Zerbinopoulos pull into the parking lot. Police searched the outdoor grounds and the entire school before classes resumed. Surveillance video showed the troubled student was never near the school.

However, in both incidents police had to be called to the school, and while their responses were swift, Sprague expressed dismay that no officers are stationed permanently at the school.

"This is a problem all over the country, so I like the idea of having some type of law enforcement here all the time," Sprague said as she sat in her car across the street from the school. "We need somebody in authority that can help these things before they escalate to inside the school."

She called on Milton to implement a resource officer like high schools in Rochester, Somersworth and North Berwick, Maine.

Sprague also lamented that the school doesn't do a good job of informing citizens of what is going on at the school.

"I had to find all this out from my granddaughter, not any authorities," she said, adding, "They have to find a way to keep this person away from the school."