Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Police Department

To:     David L. Corliss, City Manager

          Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police

From:  Paul Fellers, Captain

Cc:     Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

          Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager

Date:  May 14, 2013

Re:     Grant Application 2013 COPS Hiring Program (CHP)________________________

BACKGROUND

          Lawrence Police Officers have been actively involved as mentors in the Lawrence Public Schools for more than 25 years.  This longstanding relationship was formalized with a School Resource Officer (SRO) program which began in the mid 1990s.  The program was expanded with the addition of Lawrence’s second high school. 

In 2001, the Department applied for a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, COPS in Schools Program Grant.  The Department was selected to be a recipient of the three-year grant and was able to staff an officer in each of the four middle schools.  The three-year grant ended on February 28, 2005.  A Retention Plan in the grant required the Department to continue to fund the positions for a minimum of one full year at the end of the grant.  The Department continued to fund the positions through the 2011/2012 school year.

          During the 2011/2012 school year USD #497 transferred 9^th grade students to the high schools; 6^th graders were also transferred to the four middle schools.  This move resulted in a significant increase of the student population at both Lawrence High School and Free State High School.  The workloads of the SRO assignments were re-evaluated during the middle part of the school year.  A new deployment plan was developed based on the findings.  The middle school SROs rotated to the high schools in order to have two SROs in the high schools three out of the five days of the week to assist with the increased workload.  The deployment plan worked well.

          SRO assignments are four years in duration.  Two of the SROs completed their assignment in May 2012.  Those positions were not filled due to staffing needs in the patrol division. 

          An SRO deployment plan was developed for the 2012/2013 school year using only four SROs in the schools.  Each high school has two assigned SROs.  Each high school SRO is responsible for a middle school and they have shared responsibility for a number of elementary schools.  The vast majority of the SRO’s time is spent in the high schools.  Officers in the patrol division respond to calls for service at the schools when SROs are unavailable.   

FINDINGS

Applications for the 2013 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) must be complete and submitted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Under CHP, awardees may receive up to a maximum federal share of $125,000.00 per officer position over a three-year grant period.  As in the past, CHP requires that each position awarded be retained with local funds for a minimum of 12 months at the conclusion of 36 months of federal funding for each position.   

          The issue of school safety has emerged as a national priority with the law enforcement community, educators, and the general public.  As such, additional consideration will be given for applicants who plan on using the officer positions requested as SROs. 

          The CHP allows applicants to request 5% of their authorized sworn strength, which means seven (7) officers for the Department.  As part of the local matching requirement for the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, grantees must assume a progressively larger share of the cost of the grant with local funds over the three-year grant period.  The break down is as follows:

Total Salary and Benefits for seven (7) officers (3 years):          $1,337,189.00

Total Federal Share:                                                  $875,000.00   65.4%

Total Local Share:                                                     $462,189.00   34.6%

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Federal                    $311,902.00            $291,318.00            $271,780.00

Local             $103,968.00            $156,864.00            $201,357.00

          The grant would begin January 2014 and run through January 2017. 

CONCLUSION

          While, there are many intangible benefits to having SROs in all of the middle schools as well as the high schools, it was necessary to evaluate and address the most critical need in the Department; staffing needs within the patrol division.

          The Department believes the best potential scenario for the SRO program would be to have ten (10) SROs who are supervised by a sergeant dedicated solely to the SRO program.  This would ensure the proper coverage of both high schools and all of the middle schools with added efforts in the elementary schools.  The addition of seven (7) School Resource Officers would allow the Lawrence Police Department to dedicate SROs to protect and serve the youngest members of our community.

          I recommend the application for the CHP be approved.  If selected as a recipient of the grant the Department could ensure a proactive approach in our public schools.   

                                                                    Paul Fellers

                                                                   Captain, CSD