Broward schools to approve four new officers

Four more police officers are being assigned to Broward County schools.

The Broward School Board is set to approve new contracts for the additional school resource officers Tuesday: Two will be in the city of North Lauderdale, one in Coconut Creek and one in Hollywood. Some of those officers have already started.

The new positions were included in the current school year budget and aren’t related to the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and staff and wounded 16.

However, Coconut Creek placed an officer at the Dave Thomas Education Center immediately following the Stoneman Douglas shooting, deciding not to wait for final School Board approval, police spokesman Scotty Leamon said.

“As you know it’s a fairly big campus with lots of staff and students, so we felt we needed one there,” Leamon said. “Keep in mind that we have staffed it with a [school resource officer] since the shootings to make sure everyone on campus feels safe.”

Which schools have resource officers depends on their cities’ willingness to pay.

Fort Lauderdale pays for school officers at high schools and middle schools, but not elementary schools. Other cities have an officer handle multiple elementary schools. Only a few cities pay to have more than one resource officer at high schools in their jurisdictions.

North Lauderdale was planning to add four school resource officers this year, one for each of its elementary schools and another K-8 school within its borders, but cut the request in half because of unexpected city expenses due to Hurricane Irma, Commissioner Jerry Graziose said.

“We consider it very important,” Graziose said of the resource officer staffing. “Our goal is to have one in every elementary school.”

The two officers hired will rotate between the city’s four schools until additional funding is found, he said.

The School Board pays cities $46,252 a year for each school resource officer, a level that the Broward League of Cities says covers between 30 percent to 40 percent of the total cost of an officer. North Lauderdale officials estimated each officer costs them an additional $50,000 above what the school district pays.

The district this year budgeted $7.4 million for 160 resource officers. The four set to be approved Tuesday will cost the district an extra $129,506 this school year.

The school officers are tasked with protecting and securing a school and its occupants in an emergency. They also deal with any campus crimes, handle juvenile delinquency through counseling and referrals, promote positive student perceptions of law enforcement, provide assistance and support to crime victims and present educational programs on crime prevention and student civic responsibilities.

Here’s a look at school resource officers in Broward cities, based on district reports:

Coconut Creek: One each at three elementary schools, one middle school, Monarch High and Atlantic Technical College. Coconut Creek High has two officers. Tuesday’s agenda includes one officer for the Dave Thomas Education Center.

Cooper City: One each at three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

Coral Springs: One each at 12 elementary schools, four middle schools and three high schools.

Dania Beach: One shared by two elementary schools; one at middle school.

Davie: Two shared by seven elementary schools; one each at two middle schools and three high schools.

Deerfield Beach: Three shared by five elementary schools; one each at middle and high school.

Fort Lauderdale: None in elementary schools; one each at four middle schools, three at high schools and at an alternative school.

Hallandale Beach: One each at a high school and an alternative school; two at Gulfstream Academy combination school.

Hollywood: Three shared by 13 elementary schools (fourth to be approved Tuesday); one each at four middle schools, three high schools and a combination school.

Lauderdale Lakes: One each at middle school, high school and an alternative school.

Lauderhill: Two shared by eight elementary schools, one each at a middle school and an alternative school.

Margate: One each at three elementary schools and one middle school.

Miramar: One each at 11 elementary schools and two middle schools; two each at two high schools.

North Lauderdale: One at middle school. Tuesday’s agenda includes two to be shared by three elementary schools and a K-8 combination school.

Oakland Park: None at elementary schools; one each at middle school and high school.

Parkland: One each at three elementary schools, a middle school and high school.

Pembroke Pines: One each at nine elementary schools and three middle schools, two each at two high schools.

Plantation: Three shared by six elementary schools; one each at two middle schools and two high schools.

Pompano Beach: Three shared by nine elementary schools; one each at two middle schools, two high schools and two alternative schools.

Sunrise: One each at eight elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school.

Tamarac: One shared by two elementary schools; one at middle school.

Weston: Three shared by six elementary schools; one each at two middle schools; two at Cypress Bay High.

Wilton Manors: One elementary school.

lbarszewski@ SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4556 or Twitter @lbarszewski at