Sean C. Morgan
In response to falling revenues, the Sweet Home Police Department is moving the school resource officer back into regular patrol duty.
The department is more than $200,000 short on anticipated property tax revenue this year.
The city had agreed to fund the position this year after declining revenues forced School District 55 to cut its share of funding this year.
“We’re going to have to try to trim where we can,” said Police Chief Bob Burford. “We’ve been able to make up for the district’s shortfall the last year and a half.”
Another officer is likely to take a position in Albany soon, Burford said. “Now that we have an opening, we can actually see a cost savings.”
Schools Supt. Larry Horton said the district will miss the SRO, though the move is understandable.
“The SRO program has been a valuable asset to the School District,” he said. “We understand finances are tight everywhere. We’ve been going through reductions ourselves.”
District staff believe the program has been positive, Horton said. If funding were to be available through grants or another source, the district would strongly support it.
He added that SRO Chris Wingo will be missed.
The SRO position was created in 2007 in an agreement with the School District. The officer was assigned to work directly in the schools.
“The school resource officer program is widely used across the nation, and the Sweet Home program has been seen as hugely beneficial by school officials, law enforcement and parents,” Burford said.
The agreement called for a 50-50 cost share between the district and the city, he said. Due to budget shortfalls, the district has not been able to pay its portion of the position the last few years.
Last year, the city picked up 80 percent of the program cost in order to keep it operational, he said. In preparing the budget for the current school year, the district originally planned to meet its financial obligation.
“Based on this information, the Police Department filled an open officer position to allow the program to continue,” Burford said.
In May, the district received revenue projections from the state indicating it would receive $1.1 million less in 2010-11. In response, the district cut its portion of the cost.
“After the officer was hired and was attending the Oregon Police Academy, the district notifed us that the most it could contribute was $10,000 of the $80,000 total program cost,” Burford said. “Based upon a recommendation from the Police Department, the City Council voted to again make up the difference and keep the SRO program whole since it was more cost effective than laying off the new hire after the expenses of recruitment and training had already been undertaken.
“The extra costs were to come from SHPD emergency contingency funds.”
Last week, the department learned that one of its officers would be leaving to take a position at Albany Police Department, Burford said. The department will not fill the open position but instead will reassign the SRO from the schools back to patrol duties.
“The department can no longer afford to supplement the district’s share,” he said. “This is not something the Police Department wants to do. The SRO program has made our schools safer and has had a positive impact on many students.
“We very much hope the school will be in a position someday to again partner with us on this program.”