The Amherst County Board of Supervisors accepted a Department of Criminal Justice (DCJS) grant to fund six additional School Resources Officers(SRO) for four years at their September 6, 2022, meeting. In addition, they appropriated funds to outfit the officers with the necessary equipment to perform their duties and agreed to provide the match funding required to continue the positions through fiscal years 2024-2026.
The funding provides 100% of the personnel costs for the six positions in the fiscal year 2023. For fiscal years 2024-2026, the county must supply a percentage of the personnel costs which has not yet been established by the state. The county is responsible for providing the equipment assigned to each officer, including vehicles, uniforms, weapons, and other minor equipment. $$468,000 was appropriated by the Board to pay for this.
The DCJS grant will help the county put a SRO at every school and support the Board’s goal of promoting and supporting high-quality core services by increasing community safety.
Original source can be found here.
