School Board member Scott Pearce attended the meeting to inform the city that the School Board Budget would retain some of the costs for a School Resource Officer (SRO), but with the current economic situation this position would be cut back by 50%. In previous school years the School District has contracted this position through the county and was funded through a Federal Grant. This school year the grant effectively dried up and the School Board wanted to see if the City Police Department was willing to provide an officer for this position at the cost of around $20,000. Police Chief Steve Gillespie submitted a proposal for the SRO position. I have researched this topic extensively and have come to the conclusion that we need to continue to have the SRO position because National Data suggests that students who have an SRO have a more rounded education. A national survey suggests the following:
* A study of 700 School Resource Officers shows that 90% prevented between 1-25 violent crimes per year, nearly 1 in 4 reported taking a loaded firearm from a student or another person on campus, 87% of SRO’s reported taking knives or other weapons. In the same study 67% of SRO’s prevented a school faculty or staff member from being assaulted.
* 84% of SRO’s believe that school related crimes go unreported, but 86% of SRO’s believe that the presence of a Police Officer results in more crimes being reported and 94% of officers report that students told them about threats of school violence or safety hazards.
* 70% of SRO’s reported having direct contact with 31 or more students in a school day, 39% report having contact with more than 100 students per school day, and 93% say they have spent time counseling individual students.
To me the evidence in undeniable the SRO program is a good program and an investment in the education of our kids. I also know the budget situation and that we are in a recession. Police Chief Steve Gillespie assured me that the Police Department will not go over the budgeted amount for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year. According to Chief Gillespie, he mentioned if he is able to roll the money left over in the 2008-2009 budget to the 2009-2010 budget; the department would be able to cover the costs. The reason we did not apply for grants this year is because we were too late in applying. The council was not informed of the SRO proposal until the June 24 meeting and that Chief Gillespie assured me he would seek grant money for the coming years.
