ANSON — Following a request from Sheriff Scott Howell, county commissioners voted in late October to fund his proposal to enter into a contract with the Anson County School District to hire two additional school resource officers [SRO] to serve in the school system.
Howell has been contacted by the Anson County Board of Education and the district’s new Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Ratliff regarding the city’s inability to fulfill the parameters of their contract with the school system to provide an agreed upon number of student resource officers at the high school and also at the interior schools in the town of Wadesboro.
“My understanding is that the Wadesboro Police Department has not been in compliance with providing 2 SRO’s since 2020, per the Police Chief [Brandon Chewning], said Wiley Ross Jr., Wadesboro’s town manager.
It is unclear why the district’s lack of student resource officers recently became an issue and attempts to reach Superintendent Ratliff and Chief Chewning have not been answered by time of print.
“They have asked us to enter into a contract to have two SRO’s added to what we already have. They [Anson Co. School District] are going to fund that at $148,495, for the salaries and the stuff that goes along with the contract, equal to the other SRO’s,” Howell said.
There are currently four full-time school resource officers serving in the Anson County School System. According to Howell, after the school pays their portion, the two SRO positions will cost the county $24,000 in equipment and other necessities. As the $24,000 will be going to equipment needs rather than towards salary and benefits, the $24,000 will be a one time only payment to purchase SRO necessities.
“The thing that we would have to ask for extra funding now would be for equipment, walkie-talkies, clothing, and obviously gun and bullet proof vests, the necessities every deputy would have to have. They will be issued a spare car, or car, that when we purchase vehicles this year they will get a used car, that someone else will be getting a new car to replace, so we won’t have to purchase a car for them at this time,” said Howell.
He explained the primary duties of the proposed new SRO’s would be at the high school.
“Since the city could not fulfill that position, we have a deputy out there [at the high school] now that we are paying to be put there that is not under contract with the school to be there, we are just supplying that officer there to have law enforcement on the scene,” he said.
Commissioner Jamie Caudle questioned how the school determined their portion while Commissioner Priscilla Little-Reid asked about the proposed $24,000 cost for the county.
“That is what the finance officer came up with for what their [Anson County School District] portion would be for the salary and benefits of those 2 officers and that is what the school is going to be in a contract for,” said Howell, answering Chairman Caudle’s question.
Howell assured Commissioner Priscilla Little-Reid the $24,00 will be a one time payment that will go towards equipment and other on the job necessities.
“I think we definitely want to keep the kids safe. At this time, if it is not too early, I would like to make a motion to approve that,” said Commissioner JD Bricken, in support of the county funding the proposed one time payment of $24,000 needed to purchase equipment for the proposed two new SRO’s for the district and agreeing for the ACSO to enter into a contract with the school district to assist city officers in keeping Anson County Schools safe. Jarvis Woodburn and Lawrence Gatewood seconded Bricken’s motion and commissioners voted 7-0 in favor of funding the proposed contact.
