That the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a one-year agreement between the City of La Habra (City) and the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (District) to participate in the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program at La Habra High School and Sonora High School for Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024.

The District has contracted annually with the City of La Habra to participate in the School Resource Officer Program at its two local high schools since 1996. Presently, one police officer is assigned to La Habra High School and one police officer is assigned to Sonora High School. 

School Resource Officers (SROs) are involved in a variety of activities, such as working with educators to resolve campus incidents, providing supervision at afternoon activities, visiting classrooms, and ensuring that unauthorized persons are kept off school grounds. During the 2022-2023 School Year, officers assigned to both high schools were a significant presence and assisted in a number of investigations including, but not limited to, reported threats of violence. Police statistics do not capture the additional amount of time SROs spend counseling and mentoring students, nor do they measure the value of having a police officer on campus with respect to crime prevention, public relations and the maintenance of a safe learning environment for pupils. Although these areas are not quantifiable, the time and effort expended in these areas has had undeniable success.

The City's SRO program began in 1992 and originally focused on suppression of gang violence in schools, and was funded through a grant awarded to the City through the Office of Criminal Justice Planning. SROs on local high school campuses have proven to be a highly successful and effective means of providing a safe school environment for students, faculty, and administrative staff. Since 1996, the District has contracted with the City to provide the services of one school resource officer. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2006-07, staff negotiated with District officials and obtained their agreement to fund half of the salary and benefits of a second SRO, with a cap of $40,000. The cap was eliminated during Fiscal Year 2012-13 and the contract has included a minimal cost increase to the District. At its regularly scheduled school board meeting on July 1, 2023, the Fullerton Joint Union High School District Board approved an agreement that pays for the salary and benefits of 1.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officer positions assigned to the SRO program during the school year.

If approved by City Council, this agreement would provide for continued participation and collaboration between the City of La Habra and the Fullerton Joint Union High School District for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The agreement continues the District's contribution of costs related to 1.5 FTE police officer positions, including benefits, for the SRO program. 
 

Pursuant to the terms of proposed agreement, the District agrees to pay the City of La Habra a sum not to exceed $271,946 to reimburse salary and benefit costs for 1.5 FTE police officer positions assigned as SROs, calculated as follows:

The balance of the employee’s salary and benefits are included in the Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 adopted General Fund Budget (Account #121102).