Orlando leaders to vote on school resource officer plan

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando City council is expected Tuesday to approve the police department's plan to add 15 school resource officer positions.

The district's 13 charter schools will share one resource officer that will visit two schools per day.. If charter schools want more protection, they'll have to pay for it independently.

The tentative agreement between Orange County Public Schools and the Orlando Police Department is to have at least one school resource officer present at every public elementary, middle and high school in the city.

"An SRO there five days a week? That's wonderful. All parents should be happy for that," said parent Lashonda Crowder.

Once the agreement is approved, Orlando public schools will be in compliance with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act, which was created after 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a shooting at the Parkland school.

The $7.2 million cost breaks down to about $165,000 in salary and benefits for each SRO.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings won't say if there will be a school resource officer on every campus for the entire day. He said releasing those details is a security risk.

He asked Orange County commissioners for an additional $11 million to hire 75 new officers.

Cox Media Group