California program to keep police officer in schools
CALIFORNIA – The school resource officer (SRO) program, in which a California Borough police officer is assigned to work in the schools, will continue for the 2010-11 school year, borough council announced at Thursday’s monthly meeting. Mayor Casey Durdines noted that he was thrilled the agreement was passed because it was just last month when some council members expressed the opinion that the agreement should end because of problems with the new budget and staffing needs in the borough because of officers off on disability. The measure passed by a 4-2 vote, with Councilman Gerald “Galvie” Gardner and council President Sheila Chambers voting against the agreement.
Councilwoman Shelly Roberts was absent from the meeting.
According to school board Director Jennifer Griffin, who attended the meeting, when the SRO program was initiated in 2004, the school district had only covered the salary of the officer, not the health benefits for the officer, which council wanted the district to include in the new contract.
Griffin informed council that the school board wants the program back in the district and that the school board had approved at last month’s meeting to pay the roughly $12,000 in benefits in addition to the salary of full-time Officer Rick Encapera, who will be assigned to the middle/high school campus when school begins next month. Encapera ended the past school year as the SRO when the part-time officer that was assigned to the district quit a few weeks into the first semester.
Durdines said that having Encapera return as the SRO provides more consistency in the job and familiarity of the students with the officer.
“You’re not only providing security for the school, you’re also providing additional security for the community,” Durdines added. “It gives the police department an extra person on duty during the day in the event something happens. However, the majority of incidents where additional police officers are needed happen during the evening hours. So, having officer Encapera at the school during daylight hours will not affect the safety of citizens.”
Durdines added that having Encapera as a part of the SRO program gives students an opportunity to have positive interaction with the borough police officers. As in the past, the resource officer conducted classes for the students through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, which Encapera is certified to teach.
Griffin stated that, as a parent and a school director, she is pleased council approved the program and the students can only benefit from having an SRO on duty.
The next scheduled council meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at the borough building.