Don't worry if the County eliminates police officers in schools, remember that MCPS has thousands and thousands of top of the line - megapixel IP - security cameras to replace security staff!
While attending a conference* in Dallas, Texas in February 2009, MCPS Director of School Safety and Security Bob Hellmuth gave a video interview. In that interview, Mr. Hellmuth states that,
"It is so much cheaper to install cameras than it is to go hire additional security staff." (At minute 4:10)
How much did the 13,000(?) cameras that were purchased to replace the existing security cameras in schools cost? There was no contract for this procurement so it's hard to know for sure if these thousands of cameras cost more or less than $23 million!
When was the cost-benefit analysis done on this procurement and where are the results?
Is it really cheaper to install cameras than hire security staff?
When did the Board of Education evaluate these options, review the costs and make this decision?
*Mr. Hellmuth attended a conference in Dallas, Texas during the MCPS "travel freeze" (click link and see page 5 of memo from MCPS COO Larry Bowers for statement on MCPS travel freeze due to budget restrictions)
This posting first posted March 27, 2009 then re-posted on April 29, 2009 on the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County blog.
Department of Police Media Services Division:
Montgomery County Police Begin SRO Program for 2010-2011 School Year
Beginning with this new school year, Montgomery County Police are initiating a program utilizing nine “School Resource Officers” to serve as liaisons with high schools in their police districts. School Resource Officers (SROs) reflects the name that is more commonly used nationwide for officers who regularly work with schools.
In this new program, SROs are expected to handle the following responsibilities:
• Assist school staff members to enhance safety within their assigned schools and serve as liaisons between the department and the school staff for police-related concerns and incidents.
• Respond to incidents occurring in and around their assigned schools during their shift hours.
• Set up regular meetings with parents, teachers, principals, other school administrators, and students to discuss issues of concern within the school.
• Act as a resource for and assist with emergency preparedness, as well as safety awareness education geared to high school students.
• Serve as a point of contact to deliver police department programs on such topics as conflict resolution and mediation, drug and alcohol awareness, violence prevention, gang awareness, and crime prevention.
• Assist with traffic safety and enforcement activities in and around their assigned school areas.
School Resource Officers will work out of their district stations. The nine officers are being assigned as follows:
On this evening's call-in program with County Executive Ike Leggett and County Council President Nancy Floreen, Floreen announced that the Council has found funding to put 9 police officers in Montgomery County schools in the fall. (Previously 33 were in schools, plus 1 funded by the City of Gaithersburg and not part of the County funding.) She said the rest of the funding for these officers would have to come from MCPS.
Police officers in MCPS facilities are known as Educational Facilities Officers or EFO's. This is the latest in the EFO chess game that has been going on as part of the FY11 budget discussions.
