In a recent message, Mayor J Ryan of Sunrise, Florida, voiced his concerns regarding the School Board’s plan to dismantle the current School Resource Officer (SRO) program and replace it with a 400-officer school board police department managed by School Board staff.
He raised concerns about the lack of transparency and community engagement in this decision-making process, as well as the potential consequences of this abrupt change.
Concerns of no community input
One of the central issues raised by Mayor Ryan is the absence of community involvement in the decision to dismantle the SRO program.
Despite its decade-long existence, he noted that there has been no community workshop, presentation to various stakeholders, or public discussions regarding this substantial change.
The mayor further expressed that the decision appears to be rushed and made without proper consultation with key organizations such as the Broward League, the Broward Chiefs, the Teachers’ Union, the Broward PTA, students, families, or those involved in the SRO program analysis.
Financial concerns
Mayor Ryan also emphasized the financial implications of this move. He highlighted that the School Board had previously convinced taxpayers to accept a significant millage/tax increase to support various programs, including the SRO program.
He said that after years of cities subsidizing the SRO program at an annual cost of $20 million, the School Board now aims to replace it with the belief that they can hire 400 certified officers for less cost.
This decision raises questions about whether the new officers can provide the same level of safety as the existing program.
Safety and communication issues
One of the most concerning aspects of the proposed change is the potential impact on safety.
Mayor Ryan expressed apprehension about relying on school board officers who operate on a different radio communication system, have different command and control structures, and possess different management philosophies regarding transparency in school safety matters.
Defining the ideal school police officer
Mayor Ryan drew attention to the School Board Staff’s definition of the “ideal School Police Officer.”
While it lists positive attributes such as professionalism, patience, and building relationships with students, he questioned the inclusion of the term “team player” stating that the entity that has previously been criticized for transparency issues and prioritizing its public image over school safety.
A focus on money over safety
Mayor Ryan concluded that the primary motivation behind this change is to save money rather than provide better safety for students, teachers, and staff.
He urged the community to voice their opinions to School Board members about the importance of the current SRO program and the potential consequences of its dismantling.
In his message, Mayor Ryan shared that for over a decade, multiple Broward school safety taskforces and the School Board staff itself have concluded that the School Board lacks the financial and management capacity to deploy and maintain a large police force integrated into the community-based emergency response.
He further highlighted that the plan to hire 400 qualified law enforcement officers, even if phased, may lower qualification standards and jeopardize the current system’s effectiveness.
Mayor Ryan mentioned that the existing SRO program has evolved into a community-oriented policing model with certified law enforcement officers building relationships and providing rapid responses.
Moreover, he shared that an entirely new, separate police department supervised by the School Board staff could disrupt the current system and operational improvements since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy.
Mayor Ryan also said that the shortage of qualified law enforcement officers nationwide and locally poses a significant challenge to the School Board’s plan to hire hundreds of officers while maintaining standards.
