Douglas Schools Create Own Police Force After County Fails To Pay

Douglasville GA

26 December, 2019

8:04 AM

Description

DOUGLASVILLE - Following the failure of the county to fund additional resource officers, the school system has decided to create its own police force. "We have already begun the process and expect it could take one to two years," said Superintendent Trent North, according to the Douglas County Sentinel. North said the decision was made by the Board of Education after discussions with legal counsel and senior staff. Three larger school systems neighboring Douglas already have their own police departments — Cobb County, Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools. The announcement that the school system will create its own police force comes days after the Board of Commissioners, in a split vote, decided not to fund school resource officers in 17 elementary schools that do not already have full-time officers assigned, according to the Douglas County Sentinel. The county recently approved its 2010 budget. Five high schools, eight middle schools and three elementary schools already have full time SROs with funding that is split between the school system, the city and county government. The requested funding would have included $600,000 for the new officers. The school system had planned to contribute $595,000. While they said they wanted students and teachers to be safe, some of the commissioners argued SROs should be paid for exclusively by the school system. North said as part of establishing its own police force, the school system officers will report to a chief of police. Read more in the Douglas County Sentinel.