HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-08-21; City Council; 16355; Conversion of DARE Position to Resource OfficerCITY OF CARLSBAD -AGENDA BILL
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CONVERSION OF DARE POSITION TO SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICER POSITION CITY ATTY. rA
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution No. A@/-473 approving the conversion of one Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) officer position to a School Resource Officer (SRO) position.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
The City has provided the DARE anti-drug program to local schools since 1988. Currently,
the DARE program is offered to sixth graders at Carlsbad Unified School District and
Encinitas Union Elementary School District elementary schools throughout Carlsbad. The
program is staffed by 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers. The school districts have
cost-sharing agreements with the City and pay one-half of the designated costs.
Carlsbad Unified School District has requested that the DARE services currently being
provided by Carlsbad Police Department at the elementary schools be converted to school
resource officer (SRO) activity. The goals of the SRO program are to maintain order in and
around schools, to deter crime through enforcement, and to create positive interaction
among students, citizens, and educators. Duties may also include assistance with issues of
truancy, discipline, school attendance review board, traffic, and safety planning. The police
department currently provides SRO services to Carlsbad High School (1 .O FTE), La Costa
Canyon High School (1.0 FTE), Valley Junior High School (0.5 FTE), and Aviara Oaks
Middle School (0.5 FTE) for a total of 3.0 full-time equivalents. .
Carlsbad Unified School District has selected the State-approved “Lion’s Quest” program to
replace the DARE program in its anti-drug efforts. This program will be delivered by school
staff.
The conversion of 1.0 full-time equivalent DARE officer to an SRO officer would decrease
the DARE officer staffing from 2.0 to 1.0 full-time equivalent and increase the SRO staffing
from 3.0 to 4.0 full-time equivalents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None. The program cost for a DARE position is the same as for an SRO position. Carlsbad
Unified School District plans to continue with the current cost-sharing agreement.
EXHIBITS:
1. CUSD Letter
2. Resolution No. 6?00/- 273
Exhibit 1
a&bad Unified School District
801 Pine Avenue l Carlsbad, CA 92008
w (760) 729-9291 l FAX (760) 729-9685 . .a world c/ass district
August 3,200l
Mr. Ray Patchett
City Manager
City of Carlsbad
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Dear Ray,
The purpose of this letter is to formally notify you of our school district’s need to alter the type
of service that we have been receiving in a collaborative project between our agencies for several
years. Namely, the DARE Program, which has serviced our K-8 students, will no longer meet
the State’s compliance requirements in our drug-free, safe schools component.
We were notified in a compliance review by the State last year that we must replace or augment
that program with a curriculum that is on the State-approved list. When this was first known, we
began to discuss how we could make this transition with Sgt. DeTar and our search for a
program to select was also initiated. We have selected the “Lion’s Quest” Program. Several
approaches of how to integrate the police officers into this program were discussed with your
staff and ours.
The result of this discussion is that we would propose the following:
1. We continue the School Resource Officer (SRO) position at Carlsbad High
School.
2. We continue the SRO position shared between Valley Middle School and Aviara
Oaks Middle School.
3. We change the officer’s function at the elementary level and provide coverage in
addition for Carlsbad Village Academy by having one SRO for those schools.
This officer would assist with issues of truancy, discipline, SARE3, traffic, safety
plans and, perhaps, occasionally serve as a guest speaker at appropriate times in
classrooms on topics associated with their expertise.
a
Ray Patchett
City of Carlsbad
DARESRO Programs
Page 2
The District would continue to pay its portion of the three School Resource Officers as was listed
in the MOU agreements by Sgt. DeTar. We are taking this proposal to our Board for discussion
next week at its regularly scheduled meeting. I would appreciate your support in this matter
through discussions with your City Council. The only change from what we’ve been doing is to
essentially substitute an SRO for a DARE officer.
Please understand we believe that your police officers have produced a wonderful program in our
schools through DARE and we deeply appreciate that. However, we are faced with a
compliance and a funding challenge that prevents us from continuing with that program.
Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions on this matter.
Cheryl Ernst ,/
Superintendent
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RESOLUTION NO. 2001-273
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, CONVERTING ONE DARE OFFICER
POSITION TO A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER POSITION
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad has provided anti-drug education to local schools
through the DARE program since the 1980s; and
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad also provides school resource officer program activities;
and
WHEREAS, the Carlsbad Unified School District has requested that DARE services
provided at their elementary schools be converted to school resource officer program activities;
and
WHEREAS, the police department must convert one DARE position to a schooi‘resource
officer position;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad,
California, as follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That City Council hereby approves the reallocation of one DARE officer position to
a school resource officer position.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Carlsbad City Council held on
the 21st day of Auqust
AYES: Council Members Lewis, Kulchin, Nygaar
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ATTEST ,’
/ ,
d5w4m3vL
WOOD, City Clerk