Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright’s meeting with local officials about school resource officers and crossing guards came and went last Thursday, but those involved have largely kept mum about what occurred.
The meeting, held at the Law Enforcement Center on Dick Street, was not open to the public; media and at least two elected officials were told they could not attend. (Hope Mills Mayor Jessie Bellflowers and Spring Lake Commissioner Soña Cooper told CityView they were asked by the sheriff’s office not to come after requesting to attend.)
According to letters sent out by Wright late last month and shared with CityView, the following Cumberland County officials were invited to the June 6 meeting with Wright: Hope Mills Police Chief Stephen Dollinger; Spring Lake Police Chief Errol Jarman; Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden; Cumberland County Board of Education Chairwoman Deanna Jones; and Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr.
Those letters, sent to local officials May 21, served as the first notice to municipalities that Wright’s office would be pulling school resource officers and crossing guards from a number of public schools in the county starting in July. According to the letters, the meeting was “designed to provide [officials] with additional information about how this change will function.” It remains to be seen whether municipalities will take on the task of filling the 18 SRO and 31 crossing guard vacancies across Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake during an already-tight budget season.
With the exception of a June 6 release from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and answers to inquiries from CityView from the Cumberland County school system, those who were privy to the meeting have not hinted at what was discussed. Rickelle Harrell, a spokeswoman for the Fayetteville Police Department, declined CityView’s request to speak with Braden or Assistant Chiefs Todd Joyce and Robert Ramirez, who attended in Braden’s stead. Hope Mills Town Manager Chancer McLaughlin also declined CityView’s request for an interview with Dollinger. Jarman did not respond to a request for comment.
“At this time Fayetteville Police Department does not have any additional information to provide at this time,” Harrell wrote. “Please stay tune [sic] as this matter evolves additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”
The sheriff’s office stated in last Thursday’s release that it will provide SROs and crossing guards for schools in Stedman, which has a police chief but no police department. Otherwise, no other municipalities appear to have come to a final decision.
Cumberland County Schools’ Associate Superintendent of Communications and Community Engagement Lindsay Whitley told CityView Wednesday a final decision has yet to be made on what all schools will do.
“At this stage, we are in the process of thoroughly evaluating all potential solutions, including third-party security options and partnerships with municipalities for SRO provisions,” Whitley wrote via email. “Our decision will be informed by ongoing discussions with law enforcement agencies and careful consideration of what best ensures the safety and well-being of our school community.”
Whitley noted the sheriff’s office agreed to provide SROs for summer school and year-round schools in Fayetteville from July 15 to the beginning of the traditional school year. Wright’s office will also supply SRO training through its training officers and legal counsel to any municipalities that do decide to provide SROs, Whitley said.
Elsewhere in the county, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners voted last week to conduct a feasibility study examining the cost of filling vacancies in the town’s public schools. The issue of officer vacancies was recently highlighted by the town’s police chief, Dollinger, who expressed in a memorandum to McLaughlin that his department would not have enough officers to fill SRO and crossing guard vacancies.
Wright said he did not believe his office could fulfill the terms of its contract with the school system due to staffing shortages.
“Entering a contract would be irresponsible and reckless, knowing we cannot fulfill it,” he said in the June 6 release.
The release ended with a call for funding for municipalities to provide SROs and crossing guards.
“In light of this meeting, we are confident that these law enforcement agencies and the school board can work together to transition smoothly into an operation in which deputies and police officers each participate [sic] providing a safe environment for students and the public through the SRO program,” the release states. “We are not only confident in that safety, but we are also confident that we can complete this transition quickly and efficiently, but we will need elected officials to provide the necessary funding to complete the task.”
In a brief news release also issued last Thursday, the school system echoed that sentiment of cooperation.
“We will continue to collaborate closely with the Sheriff’s office and local police departments to provide a safe environment for all,” the school system’s release said.
A request for proposals posted by the school system June 5 indicated private unarmed security guards could still be an option to address the vacancies issue. Proposals are due by 2 p.m. June 18, the request states, noting funding would come from budgeted money and federal grants.
Guards would provide security during the school day and at other events like school-sponsored extracurricular activities, sporting events and graduation ceremonies, the request said. Personnel would need to complete 40 hours of training and do 16 hours of “annual refresher training,” according to the request.
The contract with a private firm would run from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2027, with the option of extending the contract by two additional one-year terms, the request states. Both parties would have the option to terminate the contract at any time with 90 days’ notice.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.
This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)3 charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.
Have you or anyone you know requested or seen the written understanding between the Sheriff’s dept and the school system as outlined in “Policy 5120 Relationship with Law Enforcement” that is located at https://boardpolicyonline.com/bl/?b=cumberland#&&hs=127949 ???