ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates reporter Karla Ray found out a local police agency hasn’t made a single arrest in nine months, but tax dollars will soon pay to double the force’s size.
The Orange County School District has officers patrol its schools every day. They’re not school resource officers.
The district hired six officers with more than 150 years of combined law enforcement experience as part of a program it launched in August 2015.
“What took place in 2012 at Sandy Hook and the need to rethink how school safety is provided,” said Douglas Tripp, senior director of safety and security with the Orange County School District.
The officers do not replace school resource officers, but patrol the district’s five learning communities to assist with general security.
“Whether it's emergency management activities, safety, fire, health -- but at the core, they are law enforcement, so their focus is security in and around our schools,” Tripp said.
In the nine months since inception, 9 Investigates learned the agency has filled out fewer than two dozen police reports and hasn’t made a single arrest.
One of the only reports showed Orange County School Police Department as the primary agency at Columbia Elementary when an officer was put on extra watch after a threatening phone call was made to the dean.
Other email threats, fights and weapons brought to other school campuses were referred to either Orlando police or the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
“What's the point of you being there? What are you following through with if you're not going to arrest or follow through and you're just going to call a police officer anyway?” said a concerned parent.
The school district is using $1.5 million in its current budget to double the size of the on-site law enforcement agency.
9 Investigates asked the school district if taxpayers are paying double for the same service police and deputies already provide.
“Whether or not it's perceived as redundant, it's another layer of security for our kids and our schools that helps keep our kids safe on a day-in and day-out basis,” said Tripp.
The district hopes to fill five more police positions by the end of summer. Officials say the plan is not to replace police or deputies.
Late Friday afternoon before the story had aired, the school district released another statement.
As some try to question the reasoning behind Orange County Public Schools creating the OCPS District Police there are some important facts that may not come across clearly in local media reports.
Orange County Public Schools takes the safety and security of students and staff very seriously and the purpose and intent of the OCPS District Police is prevention and early intervention. The goal of OCPS District Police is not to make arrests, but rather get in front of an issue before it becomes a law enforcement matter.
The district conducted a vulnerability assessment after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting. The results of the assessment found OCPS severely understaffed in the area of security and law enforcement. In today's environment, prevention and early intervention has become increasingly necessary. As Orange County continues to grow and experience more complex issues the need for more law enforcement assistance grows as well.
The work of OCPS District Police is creating a deeper partnership with local public safety agencies as well as increased communication, collaboration, and information sharing between each agency. The decision to employ District Police was never meant to replace School Resource Officers (SRO), but rather assist with prevention and early intervention. While OCPS is a single educational institution, the district works with a total of nine police agencies for SRO services in 186 schools. The OCPS District Police ensure there is a single approach for all law enforcement creating districtwide consistency.
Contact Karla Ray for questions or more on this story.
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