HomeMy WebLinkAboutG- 5 School Resource Officer -Gladstone High School y
. AZUSA
AGENDA ITEM
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: King F. Davis, Chief of Police ,
VIA: Rick Cole, City Manager /C---
DATE: December 5, 2000
SUBJECT: School Resource Officer-Gladstone High School
Recommendation
Approve expenditure of $10,500 to the Covina Police Department for our contribution
towards a School Resource Officer at Gladstone High School.
Background
The Azusa Police Department has placed a sworn Police Officer at Azusa High School
as a School Resource Officer since the 1987-88 school year. The school district pays
for 50% of the police officer's salary and the city pays for the other 50%. This has
been a very successful program and has reduced criminal activity at Azusa High
School and improved the relationships between the students, school district and the
police department. The program has become an institution at the school and police
department and is a model of City/School district cooperation.
Azusa Unified School District consists of two comprehensive high schools. The other
high school, Gladstone High School, has some unique characteristics. These
characteristics have made placement of a School Resource Officer at Gladstone
problematic. Gladstone High School is located in the City of Covina. Azusa Municipal
Codes are not enforceable on that campus, the provisions of the Covina Municipal
Code are enforceable. The city of Covina has jurisdictional responsibility for all
crimes committed on the campus. Although, Gladstone is located in the city of
440,e), O
Covina, the attendance area of Gladstone High School is divided between
approximately 50% city of Azusa area, and approximately 50% unincorporated area.
Gladstone High School does not draw a significant number of students from the city
of Covina. Since city of Covina residents are not in the attendance area of Gladstone,
the city of Covina has had little incentive to staff a position at Gladstone.
After the introduction of the School Resource Officer (SRO) at Azusa High School, we
anticipated that Gladstone High School would be interested in the program.
However, the administration at the school in the late 80's and early 90's were not
interested in having a police officer on campus. That changed in the mid 90's, after a
complete change of administration occurred. At that time, the school district
approached the police department about placement of a SRO at Gladstone.
After discussion about the unique aspects and needs of Gladstone High School, the
school district believed that a Covina Police Officer would be the most appropriate
SRO at Gladstone. They approached Covina Police Department about a SRO. Covina
was in the midst of a budget shortfall and was unwilling to commit an officer to the
campus full time. They did not believe that there was enough benefit to the city of
Covina to justify the expenditure.
The school district returned to the Azusa Police Department and asked us to work
with Covina to place a SRO at Gladstone. The city of Azusa would derive benefit from
a SRO at Gladstone High School. 50% of the students at Gladstone are City
residents. A School Resource Officer, in addition to investigating crimes on campus,
works with the families of runaways, truants and handles crimes that occur on the way
to school. We would also benefit from the improved relationship between the youths
and law enforcement generated by this program. This would reduce the workload of
the Azusa Police Department.
After much discussion, former Chief John Broderick met with former Covina Police
Chief Larry Lewis and reached an agreement about the funding of a SRO. The Azusa
Unified School District would fund 50% of the SRO position at Gladstone, the same as
they fund for Azusa High School. Azusa Police Department and Covina Police
Department split the remaining 50%, each paying 25% of the cost of the SRO. This
began during the 1997-98 school year.
During the 1998-99 school year, the Police Department applied for, and received
CDBG funding to reduce the additional impact of this expense on the general fund.
Due to revised eligibility rules for 2000-2001, Gladstone High School was no longer
eligible for the funding, but Azusa High School was eligible. Accordingly, we applied
and received CDBG funding for the SRO at Azusa High School.
The placement of an SRO at Gladstone has been very successful. The school has
been very pleased with the performance of the Covina Police Officer assigned there.
He works closely with the Azusa Police Department to ensure a timely flow of
accurate information about any activity that may impact the city of Azusa.
Fiscal Impact
The net fiscal impact of this program is unchanged for the last three years. There was
$10,500 designated in the 2000-0]budget for the SRO at Gladstone. This represents
the 25% portion of the Gladstone SRO. These funds are from the General Fund.
Prepared by:
Karen Pihiak,
Police Captain