Minutes 09-28-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

6 OCS has a long-standing relationship with the Orange County Sheriff's office to provide SROs in all of its schools. The current agreement with Orange County to fund such services is attached (Attachment 3). SROs in each school partner with the school administration to provide a safe campus. They maintain full certification as a law enforcement officer while assigned as an SRO and may provide law enforcement duties as appropriate and called for on the school campus. SROs: serve as positive role models for parents and students and are called upon to assist in a variety of interactions with both groups. They are an integral part of the school community fabric. District OCS staff periodically holds sessions with staff and SROs to enhance this relationship and ensure clear understanding of roles. Steve Halkiotis said he wished he had SROs when he was a principal. He said the SROs have been welcomed at their schools by the parents, and he praised both systems for their SRO programs. Commissioner McKee said he sees SROs as having a calming effect in the schools, and not as a police entity. He said when he was a student at Orange High School, there were riots, and a student died. He said an SRO may have been able to deescalate such a situation. Steve Halkiotis said this history is important, as the student was a young white man from a rural family who ran to defend an African American Assistant Principal. He said there were good people back then, and there are good people now. Commissioner Marcoplos said he appreciated these perspectives on SROs. He said he brought this up as it related to budgets, and wondered if funds were tight would schools rather have more teacher assistants or keep the SROs. Commissioner Marcoplos said the SRO program stared in the 1990s, and asked if an SRO has ever fired a gun in either district. OCS and CHCCS both said never. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a reason for an SRO to carry a gun. Steve Halkiotis said SROs are law enforcement. Commission Marcoplos said they are also teachers. Dr. Pamela Baldwin said the gun is part of their uniform, and she would not ask an officer or a soldier to change their uniform, so she would not ask an SRO do that either. Commissioner Marcoplos said he can understand that, and he just questioned the usefulness of a displayed gun in schools. Steve Halkiotis said there was an active shooter at Orange High School a few years ago, and the school was fortunate to have two retired Highway Patrolmen as Drivers' Education teachers. He said the Highway Patrolmen got to the shooter before the SROs did, and their skill and training came in handy that day. He said mental health is a huge piece of this puzzle. Rani Dasi referred to Commissioner Marcoplos question of using SRO funds for teaching assistants, and said it is not such a simple trade. She said classroom support comes first, and SROs are part of this picture. She said school leadership identifies the need for SROs. She said the guns carried by SROs are not for the children, but rather to protect the campus from possible outside threats. She said many of the schools have open campuses that are not up to current safety standards. She said SROs can be a child's first introduction to this kind of authority, in a safe way and positive way. She said CHCCS has greatly involved the community around the issue of SROs, and created a memorandum of understanding. She said data is reviewed on a regular basis, and there has been a significant decline in incidences. Commissioner McKee said he is greatly impressed by the way the two districts have set up the SROs program; the gun is not the focus but the person of the SRO is. Commissioner Price agreed with Rani Dasi and Commissioner McKee, and said the benefits of the SRO certainly outweigh the cons.