Six Additional School Resource Officers for Stafford

The Virginia Criminal Justice Services Board has approved a grant to partially fund six new school resource officers for Stafford County Public Schools, Bill Kennedy, Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.

"The additional six school resource officers will ensure that every middle school in Stafford County has a school resource officer," Kennedy said.

The four year grant will fund 50 percent of the cost to hire the new school resource officers during the first year of the grant, pending the Stafford Board of Supervisors approval of the grant's terms.

The Sheriff’s Office currently provides five school resource officers for each of the county’s five high schools, two school resource officers for the county’s eight middle schools and two D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) deputies for the 17 elementary schools.

With hiring and training requirements it is anticipated the new school resource officers will be in place for the 2014-2015 school year.

The funds for the grant originated from a $1.3 million dollar appropriation requested by Governor McDonnell and approved by the General Assembly.  Sheriff Charles Jett submitted the grant application to the Criminal Justice Services Board, with the approval of the Stafford County Board of Supervisor’s Public Safety Committee.