Budget Committee Approves Funding for SROs

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is one step closer to hiring new School Resource Officers thanks to the county budget committee.

The committee approved $600,000 to be given to the PCSO to hire up to six new SROs, with leftover funding going towards equipment.

Sheriff Eddie Ferris said additional funding will be beneficial to the PCSO and Putnam County Schools.

“I think we’re in good shape,” Farris said. “This has sped it up a little bit, which I’m glad it has, but I think we’re going to be just fine. We’ve got a plan if we get six [officers], we can cover all the schools and manage with the new SROs and the deputies we already have. We’re going to cover the schools, regardless.”

To compensate for the additional funding, the budget committee added an additional $600,000 in sales tax revenue to its 2018-2019 fiscal year budget before approving it.

Farris said the PCSO’s original budget allowed for up to 11 SROs to be placed in the 11 elementary schools across the county. Each middle and high school in Putnam County already has SROs on their campuses.

“We’re going to cover the schools regardless of how many you all approve,” Farris said. “We’ve got a plan, we’ll make it work. Whatever we can make work as far as money goes and what money we’ve got in there, that’s certainly what we want to do.”

Farris said once funding is approved, the PCSO will look to hire deputies with two years of experience for their SRO positions.

“We can’t go on the street and hire a new person to put through deputy school and training and all that,” Farris said. “That means we’re going to be pulling from people that’s already a deputy that wants to be an SRO. Plus we’ll most likely be recruiting some experience.”

The Putnam County Commission will need to approve the budget committee’s decision during their next meeting July 23.