City Council Approves $3.4 Million School Cops Plan

With an 8-5 vote the Charleston City Council approved Police Chief Greg Mullen's cluster policing plan for improving elementary school security.

Residents packed the meeting leading to more than three hours of debate over the plan, ABCNews4 reports.

Mullen's proposal was to hire 19 officers who will be assigned to patrol one of six clusters of elementary schools that fall within the city limits. The plan also included building two new fire stations, one in West Ashley and one in Cainhoy. The price tag for the plan comes to approximately $3.4 million to be paid for through increased property taxes.

The Council removed a portion of Mullen's original proposal that also called for additional officers for the upper King Street area before approving the rest of the package.