HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-06-2002 - 8c 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: November 6, 2002
Action Agenda
Item No.
SUBJECT: Acceptance of COPS in Schools Grant to Include Authorization of Two Deputy
Sheriff (School Resource Officer) Positions for Cedar Ridge High School
DEPARTMENT: Sheriff PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
Budget
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass, ext. 2300
Estimated Cost Projections Donna Dean, ext. 2151
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To accept a three year grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and authorize two new permanent, full time
Deputy Sheriff positions to be assigned as School Resource Officers (SRO) at Orange County
Schools new Cedar Ridge High School.
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS), provides funding for community oriented policing efforts including
resource officers in schools. In the past, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has received
several grant awards from the COPS programs that have allowed the department to increase
law enforcement presence in our community and schools.
Last spring, the Orange County Schools Board of Education prepared to open the new Cedar
Ridge High School in fall 2002. The Board of Education recognized that, due to the State of
North Carolina's fiscal crisis and the State's projected decrease in the number of students
attending the District's schools, it would likely face constraints related to funding additional on-
going costs of the new school.
One of the top priorities for the Board of Education is to offer its students a safe learning
environment. Faced with difficult funding decisions and a multitude of high priority needs, the
Board of Education partnered with Orange County's Sheriff and applied for a grant from the
USDOJ. The purpose of the grant is to offset some of the initial start up costs of providing two
SRO's at the new school. In mid-September 2002, the Sheriffs Department received
notification that USDOJ had awarded a three-year grant to Orange County to cover salaries and
benefits associated with two additional full-time SRO's to be located at Cedar Ridge High
School.
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The grant stipulates that the funds must be used to hire new additional SRO's, and the
County may not reduce the authorized number of sworn officers as a result of receiving
the COPS in Schools grant funding. The grant further stipulates that at the end of the
three-year grant period, the County would retain the officers for at least one full local
budget cycle following the expiration of the COPs grant funding.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The current year salary and benefit cost for an entry level Deputy Sheriff
I position totals $38,028 with the anticipated cost for two positions being $76,056. In addition,
the County would also have costs such as gas, vehicle maintenance and uniforms covered with
monies budgeted in the Sheriffs General Fund budget. The attached spreadsheet, COPS in
Schools Grant for Cedar Ridge High School, outlines the five-year salary and benefit costs
associated with the positions.
As a point of reference, the Sheriffs Department currently has four School Resource Officers
located in the Orange County Schools - one at Stanback Middle School, one at Stanford Middle
School and two at Orange High School. The County's budgeted cost of salary and benefits for
these four positions for the current fiscal year totals $188,385. It is important to note that
Orange County Schools reimburses the Sheriffs Department $164,000 to offset the cost of the
existing four positions.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board accept the three-year
grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS), and establish two permanent full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) positions,
effective September 1, 2002, to be assigned to Cedar Ridge High School.
10/30/02
COPS in Schools Grant for Cedar Ridge High School
Projected Personnel and Benefit Costs
FY 2002-03"r FY 2003-04 FY 2004-05 FY 2005-06 rzr 1 FY 2006-07 ri' Total 5 Year Position Cost
US US US US US US
Total Department Required Total Department Required Department Required Department Required Total Department Required Total Department
Position of Justice County Position of Justice County Total of Justice County Total Position of Justice County Position of Justice County Position of Justice County
Cost Portion Match Cost I Portion Match Position Cost Portion Match Cost Portion Match Cost Portion Match Cost Share Share
Projected Personnel&
Benefit Costs of Two
Entry Level Deputy
Sheriff l positions i<) $76,0601 $57,045 $19,015 $77,581 $68,1861 $19,395 $79,133 $59.3501 $19,783 $80,7151 $12,919 $66,7451 $82,330 $0 $84,7511 $395,8191 $187,5001 $209,690
Grant period begins September 1,2002. This amount represents cost of two Deputy Sheriff I positions from September 1,2002 through June 30,2003.
iz�Grant period expires August 31,2005. Cost estimates represent receipt of grant funds to cover period from July 1,2005 through August 31,2005 with County assuming full position cost during fiscal year 2005-06(from September 1,2005 through June 30,2006).
(''No grant funds expected in fiscal year 2006-07 since grant period expired August 31,2005. Represents anticipated full year cost of two positions authorized during fiscal year 2002-03.
(4)Cost projections are related to personnel and benefit costs only and do not project annual operating costs associated with the new positions. An annual increase of 2 percent is factored into the cost projections beyond fiscal year 2002-03.
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