By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council is slated to discuss school safety options on Thursday, including the option to fund two full-time school resource officers at Mesa Verde and San Juan High School.
At the April 25 City Council meeting, Mayor Bret Daniels requested that the city re-explore the option of placing school resource officers at both Citrus Heights high schools. On May 23, the City Council is slated to discuss and then give direction to the city on four different school safety options.
- Option 1: Hire and fund two additional full-time School Resource Officers. Fiscal Impact: The cost of two additional police officers would be $185,000 per officer annually for a total of $370,000 annually, according to an August 2023 feasibility study presented to the council by the Citrus Heights Police Department. According to police, the initial startup cost would also be an additional $250,000.
- Option 2: Reassign two existing sworn positions from other programs as determined by the City Manager and Police Chief to School Resource Officers.
- Option 3: Utilize the Police Department’s current traffic unit to create a school liaison program to provide enhanced traffic enforcement and life safety, including perimeter security, at Citrus Heights schools.
- Option 4: Continue coordination with the San Juan Unified Safe Schools program.
There is no fiscal impact if the council decides to move forward with options 2, 3, or 4.
Ongoing conversations have been occurring between the city, the San Juan Unified School District, and Police Department regarding public safety and police presence within Citrus Heights schools since 2022.
In January 2023, Citrus Heights Chief of Police Alex Turcotte provided an estimate on the fiscal impact of putting a police officer in each Citrus Heights public school. Turcotte reported that the initial cost would be $1.8 million, with an annual cost of $2.58 million to continue to maintain police staffing in each school.
The financial estimate primarily covered the salaries for 12 officers (one for each public school in Citrus Heights) plus three administrative and supervisory staff, 15 police vehicles at $90,000 each, and other necessary equipment, training, and operation services.
Daniels initially questioned the necessity of some costs. Turcotte said the figures presented were estimates and that actual costs could be higher or lower depending on numerous variables.
In October 2023, the City Council voted unanimously to formally request funding from the San Juan Unified School District to help pay for placing a dedicated school resource police officer at both Mesa Verde and San Juan High School. The decision came following a 2-2 tie vote on whether the city should use federal coronavirus relief funds to fund the placement of officers in each high school.
Those wishing to make a public comment during the meeting can do so by attending the council meeting on May 23, 2024, at City Hall, or by submitting a written comment beforehand using the city’s website. The deadline to submit comments online is 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. See the full agenda packet online: click here.
The Citrus Heights City Council is slated to discuss “School Safety Options” in the next City Council meeting, including the option to fund two full-time school resource officers at Mesa Verde and San Juan High School...
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