8 of 13 DCPS police officers hired in 2021 have resigned

3 years ago 222

Department grappling with recruitment, retention challenges arsenic it works to capable vacancies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a presumption to the Duval County School Board Tuesday, representatives of the district’s constabulary section elaborate the request for accrued recruitment and retention efforts to capable much than 20 vacancies.

The Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools requires astatine slightest 1 “Safe School Officer” oregon “Guardian” astatine each nationalist schoolhouse erstwhile schoolhouse is successful session.

There are 4 options for the territory to unit these in-school positions:

School Safety Officers (SSOs) are certified instrumentality enforcement officers who person the aforesaid arresting powerfulness arsenic Deputy Sheriffs but are employed by the schoolhouse territory constabulary department.
School Resource Officers (SROs) are besides certified instrumentality enforcement officers but are employed by an extracurricular instrumentality enforcement agency, alternatively of the district’s constabulary department.
School Guardians (School Safety Assistants) are schoolhouse territory oregon charter schoolhouse employees who are specifically hired to service arsenic schoolhouse guardians.
Licensed Security Guards are hired by the schoolhouse committee arsenic portion of a declaration with a backstage information agency. They’ve completed the Coach Aaron Feis grooming programme successful bid to transportation a Class “D” and Class “G” license. DCPS does not presently employment immoderate Licensed Security Guards.

According to the staffing investigation presented Tuesday, the territory presently has 22 vacancies; 5 successful secondary schools and 17 successful superior schools.

This screenshot was taken from a presumption fixed to the Duval County School Board connected Oct. 19, 2021. (Duval County Public Schools)

Also astatine issue, the presumption noted, is keeping the officers who person been hired by the district.

The immense bulk of those who use for schoolhouse information serviceman oregon schoolhouse information adjunct positions are disqualified oregon retreat themselves from consideration.

Of the 93 applicants for schoolhouse information officer, lone 13 were yet hired -- and six applications are inactive processing.

However, of those 13 officers hired successful 2021, 8 person already resigned -- leaving lone 5 officers employed retired of the 93 that initially applied.

This screenshot was captured from a presumption to the Duval County School Board connected Oct. 19, 2021. (Duval County Public Schools)

One of the factors suggested arsenic a crushed for the recruitment and retention challenges is the complaint of wage for the positions -- arsenic much lucrative options are disposable elsewhere.

The compensation for a School Safety Officer connected a 12-month declaration is little than $40,000, not including benefits.

The DCPS Police Department pitched the thought of utilizing Security Guards arsenic Guardians, saying its much efficient, much cost-effective than utilizing JSO officers, and takes the chore of recruitment retired of the district’s hands and turns it implicit to the information contractor.

JSO is presently reducing unit moving successful DCPS annually by 20 officers until they’re removed completely, which has already contributed to the accrued staffing challenge, arsenic first reported by the Florida Times-Union.

Two information companies were floated arsenic imaginable sources; Allied Security, which already works with charter schools successful Duval, Leon, and St. John’s County; and Dynamic Integrated Security, which presently works with the districts successful Orange, Dade, and Hillsborough Counties.