FOX 5 photo of a Barrow County Sheriff's Office vehicle
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Barrow County schools will more than double the number of school resource officers patrolling local campuses under a newly signed tri-party agreement. The security expansion comes less than two years after a tragic mass shooting at Apalachee High School.
What we know:
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners, Board of Education, and the sheriff's office signed a tri-party agreement to expand school resource officer coverage from 12 officers to 25. The contract updates a previous 2017 agreement and goes into effect on July 1.
Under the contract, the school system will reimburse Barrow County for 100% of the salaries and benefits paid to the officers during the 10-month academic year. For extracurricular events like athletic games, dances, and graduations, the school system will pay the sheriff's office directly at an extra duty rate of 60 dollars per hour.
Big picture view:
The Barrow County Sheriff's Office retains ultimate control and oversight of the program, and all assigned deputies must be POST-certified sworn law enforcement officers. Their core duties include maintaining a physical presence on grounds to deter crime, enforcing state laws, and responding to emergencies, weapons possession, and drug incidents.
Deputies are required to receive ongoing training in student privacy laws, child abuse reporting, and interacting with students who have disabilities. The contract draws a strict line regarding campus discipline, explicitly forbidding officers from participating in the school system's disciplinary or truancy processes.
The backstory:
The security agreement comes less than two years after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4, 2024. The tragic attack claimed the lives of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
The accused shooter's father, Colin Gray, was found guilty in March on 27 felony counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children. The accused shooter, Colt Gray, is scheduled to appear in court on May 28 for a status hearing.
See reporting on the Apalachee High School shooting
What they're saying:
"Funding the sheriff’s office has always been one of the top priorities for the board of commissioners, and contrary to rumors and other reports, funding for the SRO program was, is and will continue to be included in the sheriff’s office budget," said Brian Stewart, Barrow County public information officer. "The board of commissioners remains committed to funding public safety through Fire, Emergency Medical Services, 911, and the sheriff’s office, and recognizes that school safety goes beyond just SROs."
The Source: The information in this article comes from Barrow County and the tri-party agreement.