NR 18-27 Brevard Public School SRDs/SRO/Specialist Program – Status Update

The following information is provided to clarify and update Brevard County School Security operations:

• The Sheriff’s Office and all municipal law enforcement agencies are working closely with Superintendent Mullins to assist the District with their Marjory Stoneman Public Safety Act mandates.
• Effective the 1st day of school, August 10, 2018, there will be 57 SRDs or SROs in place throughout Brevard County with a total of 33 Brevard Public School vacancies, which still require an SRO or SRD.
• There will be no part time school security operations in any capacity at any BPS campus.
• The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office will have a total of 22 School Resource Deputies in place for the 2018-2019 School year effective August 4, 2018. We will need an additional 7 SRDs to have a Deputy in every Brevard Public School located in the unincorporated areas of Brevard County. The Titusville Police Department will have 9 SROs and no school vacancies, the Cocoa Police Department will have 2 SROs and 2 school vacancies, the Cocoa Beach Police Department will have 2 SROs and 1 school vacancy, the Rockledge Police Department will have 5 SROs and no school vacancies, the Satellite Beach Police Department will have 2 SROs and 2 school vacancies, the Indian Harbour Beach Police Department will have 1 SRO and no school vacancies, the Melbourne Beach Police Department will have 1 SRO and no school vacancies, the West Melbourne Police Department will have 4 SROs and no school vacancies, the Melbourne Police Department will have 6 SROs and 10 school vacancies, and the Palm Bay Police Department will have 3 SRO’s and 11 school vacancies.
• The Brevard Public School Board authorized the School Specialist Security Program job description on May 22, 2018, and is currently in the process of identifying 33 individuals who will be hired, vetted and trained by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office under the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program statute. These trained individuals will be placed at each Brevard County Public School (countywide) by BPS where a school resource deputy or School Resource officer is not assigned for the 2018-2019 school year. It is believed that this process will be completed and the specialists placed in the school vacancies during September 2018.

• The vetting process includes a completed BPS employment application, verification of a concealed weapons permit, background investigation, drug screening, psychological evaluation, oral interview and then five weeks of training.
• To provide certified law enforcement security services in the 33 Brevard Public Schools until the 33 BPS Security Specialists needed are hired, trained, and placed, BPS is funding off-duty law enforcement officers and deputies for the 33 school vacancies.

For additional information concerning this News Release, please call PIO Tod Goodyear of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office at 321-501-7594.