The Hooksett Police Department needs more officers on the street and – to that end – it is pulling the town’s school resource officer out of the schools and onto the road.

Hooksett Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis said personnel issues dictate that the department’s school resource officer will need to cut back his hours spent at the three Hooksett schools from 40 hours a week to somewhere between four and eight.

“Right now we’re down staff. We have a number of personnel who would have been going on the road that aren’t,” Agrafiotis said. “So basically we’re not up to full strength to fill our normal openings on the road so we’ve cut back the hours that the school resource officer can be in the schools.”

Agrafiotis said he does not know how permanent the officer’s new schedule will be. Private personnel issues and the upcoming budget cycle will dictate the length of the arrangement, he said.

Hooksett school Superintendent Charles “Phil” Littlefield addressed School Board members on Oct. 21, briefing them on the conversation he had with the police chief. Littlefield said if it comes down to the school system funding the officer’s presence in the schools, he couldn’t find a way to fiscally justify it.

“Under no circumstances do I think we’re in a position to cut back services to youngsters to fund the public safety position,” Littlefield said.

Cawley Middle School Principal Steve Harrises said the position cutback would be felt.

“He is a part of the building,” Harrises said. “I think there is a nice rapport developing that we will lose. We will miss him here. The students will miss him. I think he’s had such a positive impact.”

School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette agreed.

“He has developed as such a positive role model in all the buildings.” Ouellette said. “We will really miss that. And he is ideal for the position. He really likes spending time with the kids but we have no control over this. It is too bad.”

Agrafiotis said if a safety issue arises at any of the district’s schools, the police will not hesitate to respond. He also said cutting back on the school resource officer’s hours should not pose a real safety threat.

“The schools have very good safety programs in place,” he said. “We were just there to give an extra presence and interaction for the children. If we have any issues that pop up, we will certainly readjust.”