HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/10/2003, COMM. - SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER CUTS r
SAN LUIS OBISPO HIGH
1350 California Boulevard, San Luis Obispo,California 93401-2952t
Phone (805)596-4040 APR 0 ;' 20Uj
FAX (805)542-9075 !
Voice Mail (805)596.4050 SLO CITY CLERK "Ho 'me of the Tigers"
ACRO City of san Luis Obispo COUNCIL
April 4, 2003 Adminatration
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Ken Hampian, City Manager clrrcuc APR 0 7 2003 PwDIR
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Dear Mr. Hampian:
r I'am writing to express my concern over the possible elimination of San Luis Obispo High School's
School Resource Officer as a result of City of San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo Police
Department budget cuts. Over the years, our school administration has had the good fortune to
work with a number of excellent SROs: Jim Hayes, Russ Griffith, Rick Crocker and Tom De Priest.
Currently, with the reassignment of Tom De Priest, Gary Nemeth is splitting time between Laguna
Middle School and SLOHS, spending approximately four hours a week at the high school, which
already constitutes an eighty-five per cent cut from the hours allocated at the beginning of the year.
While it is true that by calling dispatch officers are always available to assist us , and we appreciate
that support, the regular presence of a School Resource Officer is enormously important to the
effective operation of our school. His or her visibility, familiarity with students and staff, knowledge
of the school culture and immediate availability to assist administration at critical times, significantly
increases the safety and security of the entire school community. Additionally, as times have
changed, so have the behaviors of students, and the need for a School Resource Officer has
become even more important and dramatic. Despite the knowledge, commitment and skill of the
school administrators who handle disciplinary situations (among countless other responsibilities),
there are many times when a police officer's presence is essential.
This year, at least 58 students have been involved in reported crimes, including 17 thefts, 8
vandalisms, 14 drug related incidents and 9 batteries. These numbers, however, do not reflect the
thefts and vandalisms that do not qualify as crimes and the many incidents where the School
Resource Officer helps us investigate possible crimes. Our numbers would double if those were
included. Our SRO helps us with habitual truants by signing advisements and truancy citations. It
takes twice as long to coordinate these consequences when we do not have an SRO on duty. The
SRO patrols the campus and the campus perimeter, helping to limit the number of disturbances
that occur before school, during lunch and after school in the neighborhood around campus.
Supervising traffic is another key component of the SRO's responsibilities. The SRO is also a vital
member of our district mandated Critical Incident Response and Threat Assessment Teams.
SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ken Hampian, City Manager
Page Two
April 4, 2003
I recently attended a meeting at the County Office of Education with principals, police chiefs or their
designees, and sheriffs office representatives from around the county, The meeting was arranged
by County Public Information Officer Mark Buchman to discuss how to handle the media at school
sites during times of crisis; e.g., the gun incident at Arroyo Grande High School and the death of
two students at SLOHS. I learned at the meeting that San Luis Obispo High School is currently the
only public high school in the county that does not have a full-time School Resource Officer or a
full-time campus supervisor. Now we are faced with the loss of even our part time School
Resource Officer.
For eight hours a day, we are a community of over 1600 individuals, of whom 1500 are active and
unpredictable teenagers. For the safety and security of everyone, and for the deterrent that a
police officer's presence represents, we urge the City of San Luis Obispo and the San Luis Obispo
Police Department to continue the position, and restore the hours, of the School Resource Officer
at San Luis Obispo High School.
Sincerely,
V V
Will Jones
Interim Principal
San Luis Obispo High School
cc: City Council Members
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deborah Linden
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