Schools want aid to raise security

How about employing off-duty deputies to patrol schools, particularly high and middle schools, during their instructional days rather than only at after-school athletic events?

My sentiments exactly. You will get a better quality officer that is trained by a sheriff's department who will be paying for equipment and training. It could save money in the long run also. I can't believe the salary for a public safety officer in Richmond County. That's about what the state pays for a janitor. SAD.

Good idea because gun purchaser have increase in Georgia by white people and it want be long before their children steal their assualt weapon or rifle and come to school with a trench coat on during the summer and go on a killing spree.

many6661egion, that is a big assumption you are making there. I don't think crimes on school or college campuses are committed from people of only one race. It can happen anywhere to anyone at anytime. No school or community is immune to those types of things; however there may be places where the number of incidences are higher than others. I am happy to see the school systems taking measures to protect the safety of our children.

That is NOT the starting pay for an officer at the BOE. As much as I hate that poorly ran department. Those figures are wrong. By the way, if they really want to help things run a little better. Get rid of the Chief! LOL...........

Campus Police Officers and Sheriff's Deputies receive the same training. In fact, Campus Officers receive further training specifically related to their duties, dealing with youth, campus crimes, drugs, etc. vs. more specific training which deputies usually take when attending POST training which is usually more geared towards traffic enforcement, DUI's, accident reconstruction, etc. Campus Police Officers are the way to go vs. having different deputies roaming the schools from time to time. These Campus Officers are able to foster an appreciation for law enforcement from many students and once a relationship is established, they learn more far faster than rotating officers through the campus would work. However, you can have Sheriff's Deputies that are trained as school resource officers, assigned specifically to the schools, etc. but the costs would not be less than what you are paying now and you would not reap the other benefits that campus police have such as routine searching of vehicles and lockers, etc. due to being employees of the BOE. All in all, Campus Police are the way to go and they do a good job with limited resourses.

Campus Police salaries and benefits are far below where they need to be as these need to be highly trained officers which show great restraint and work very well with youth. They are more than an officer as many are also mentors and teachers to these youths and therefore the quality of officer is paramount and the salary should be comparable. There should be no less than ONE officer PER SCHOOL in both counties as schools can not educate youth when safety is a concern. High Schools with more than 1,000 students need two Campus Police Officers so that one can routinely patrol the parking lot areas where a lot of crime and drama occurs and one can continually patrol inside. Also, when arrests are made, an officer must be in court or is out sick, there will always be a minimum of one officer on the high school campus. Good job to both counties for looking into these grants and bettering their departments. Now, pay them better salaries, get them the equipment they need and allow them more training opportunities with pay during the summer months to ensure you have the best trained officers possible that will not leave for other agencies.

The RCBOE campus police could use a leader with more leadership and law enforcement skills than are available to a person who completes an FBI fingerprinting course.

Good to see we are trying to hire public safety officers at about $4,000less than county grounds keepers. Bet we get some really dedicated folks for that money. Of course this will require pay raises for supervisors, because their responsibilities have greatly increased. What they really need is cameras in the classrooms and an expedited removal process for syudents that are unruly and teachers that can't teach. The camera would catch both.

The RCBOE Campus Police don't have a leader, receive little support and are managed at time by non-law enforcement personnel, which certainly is unacceptable. While Campus Police in theory are far better for school systems than placing deputies or officers from other agencies within the schools, the school board must fully understand that they have an actualy Police Department under their authority and place a person in authority with law enforcement skills. Officers at no time should be answering to non-law enforcement administrators regarding law enforcement matters nor should they be directed to lower stats, fail to disiminate information, etc. As for the RCBOE Campus Police Director, the hiring was simply the return of a favor from Dr. Larke, and is a deplorable waste of tax payers money and bad for the department. That said, if Dr. Bedden is really considering bringing in a Sergeant from the Sheriff's Office simply due to his race and other political reasons, he is not the leader he portrays himself to be. Hire a good leader for the RCBOE Police and do so now. CCBOE has had two excellent directors of Campus Police but they lack the full support to do what is needed.

There was plenty of security at my high school in the sixties. Some of the teachers were assigned to the halls anytime students were there....before and after school and during class changes and lunch. They had the authority to send anyone misbehaving to the higher authority, the Principal's office. He had further authority no one interested in an eduction messed with. What does it say about the state of education in America when teachers need law enforcement officers to back them up?

KSL, although you are right to an extent, most schools still have teachers that still have that authority however, principals may only suspend for up to 10 days without the board looking into the situation. Either way, that has nothing to do with the needs of campus police officers. Times certainly have changed, most students drive to school now days and that certainly adds to the needs of law enforcement/traffic enforcement on campus. However, a large majority of the needs of the police on campus are due to non-students, expelled students and crimes against teachers and students. The police on campus are there to protect and serve the students and teachers. They not only provide for police services but also security services and serve as support staff for supervising the campuses, responding to medical emergencies, preventing or dealing with persons trespassing on campus, vandalism, etc. Yes, at times, the police may have to go to a classroom to back up a teacher and they even deal with situations such as weapons on campus but the majority of there time is spent protecting and serving the 36,000 persons on RC campuses or 25,000 persons on CC campuses each and every day.

here's a thought, why not expell all disruptive, combative, disrepectful and students who don't want to learn and are trouble makers, by closing down the knucklehead...opps i mean the alternative school and go thru each and every other school and do the same, so instead of needing funds for public safety, the environment within the school will be made safer and the money could then be used for textbooks, supplies and/or increased teacher pay