A new high school will open in 1999. Partly because of the academic expectations of new residents, the high school is adding more advanced science and math classes and more foreign language instruction, Principal Mike Weatherbie says. On a more serious note, reformatory Superintendent Ken Du Charme says escapes have been infrequent in recent years at the state reformatory, which, along with the Twin Rivers Correction Center, houses about 2,100 inmates. With a staff of 965, the prison system is by far Monroe's largest employer. In Monroe, calls for police service have tripled over the past decade, rising along with the growth in population.
Thefts are the most common reported crime, about twice as common as assaults.
Only two murders have been committed in Monroe since 1987. Now the department's biggest issues are communicating with an ever-expanding public, helping the community celebrate diversity and dealing with increased traffic.