Authorize the Supervisor and Clerk to sign a three (3) year Renewal Agreement with Saline Area Schools to supply a School Resource Officer, subject to Township Attorney approval.

The Saline School District and Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety (DPS) have maintained a School Resource Officer for the past nine years under an equal cost-sharing agreement. The current three-year agreement, which expired June 30, 2020, placed a Pittsfield Township police officer on the main campus of Saline High School and Harvest Elementary School to perform the primary duties of a School Resource Officer. The School Resource Officer maintains an office within the high school near the main student entrance to provide a high level of uniformed police presence and interaction with students in order to maintain a safe and peaceful school environment.  

The DPS and Saline School District wish to renew the agreement for an additional three (3) years for continuation of provided services. Over the past nine years the School Resource Officer has worked hard with the Saline Schools to successfully create a safe campus environment and to be a positive role model for the students and if approved, the School Resource Officer will continue providing intervention and critical security needs for the schools while performing a multitude of duties and activities.

These duties and activities would continue to include:

• Providing daily on-site, campus-wide police presence at the high school and elementary school
• Coordinate with school staff and administrators to provide a safe campus environment, preventing criminal activities and potential acts of violence
• Provide direct police intervention and enforcement activities when necessary
• Investigate incidents involving school disturbances, fights, threats, weapons offenses, illegal drugs, and other acts of violence and crime (in turn, reducing the time spent by other DPS patrol personnel responding to the school campus)
• Coordinate and facilitate with school staff and administration to maintain an effective school security plan and emergency service (police, fire, medical) response plan
• Coordinate with DPS command staff and personnel for effective security details of school activities, including dances and sporting events

The School Resource Officer continues to receive specialized training and education to allow effective coordination and facilitation of safety and security services to the schools, which can also be applied to other schools within the township. The School Resource Officer will continue to maintain an expertise in school safety and security protocols, as well as critical incident response and incident management.

Additionally, the School Resource Officer has been utilized as an extra police officer during the periods of the year when the Saline schools are not in session, allowing the township to realize the full-time services of the sworn officer in a non-school capacity.

Under the agreement, the Saline School District and Pittsfield Township will share the cost equally (fifty percent each) of the School Resource Officer’s wages and benefits, with the Saline Schools paying 100% of any added overtime cost relating to school activities/duties. The only exception is that when/if the schools are closed or holding virtual/online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the township agrees not to bill/charge the schools and the SRO will be reassigned to other departmental duties until the schools reopen for in-school classes and/or student activities. 

The renewal of the agreement will continue to allow the position to be filled with a fifty percent (50%) cost savings to the township, except as noted above during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The township will utilize the School Resource Officer as an extra full-time police officer during periods when Saline schools are not in session during the year. The township will also utilize the School Resource Officer for weekend events, duties, shift shortages, special details, etc. when school activities do not conflict.

The township will receive revenue in the amount of approximately $59,300, plus overtime costs. Overtime will be paid at one hundred percent (100%) by the Saline School District for school-related duties and activities.

The Township will expend approximately $59,300, plus overtime costs for non-school-related duties and activities.

Negligible cost associated with supervising the School Resource Officer position.

No impact

Conforms to policy.