Discussion and possible action to authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement with the Peoria Unified School District to assign four Peoria Police Officers to the campuses of Peoria, Sunrise Mountain, Centennial, and Liberty High Schools and another four Peoria Police Officers to support Elementary Schools within different sectors of the district as School Resource Officers.

This amended agreement assigns four school resource officers to Peoria, Sunrise Mountain, Centennial and Liberty High Schools and four school resource officers to support Elementary Schools within different sectors of the district through the school year ending in May 2025. 

School Resource Officers provide an important level of service for the school, the community, and the patrol officers on the street. The current school resource officers have also been involved in making the schools better neighbors by assessing the impact they have on the surrounding neighborhoods. 

This program will continue the cooperative efforts by the City of Peoria Police Department and the Peoria Unified School District that create a positive approach to promoting public safety and awareness. By assigning police officers on the school campuses, it promotes a positive partnership with the Peoria Unified School District, students, the individual schools, and the Police Department.

The assigned officers participate in educational programs, which aid students in dealing successfully with peer pressure, child abuse, gangs, drug awareness, and other related issues. The officers will investigate school related criminal activities and assist school administrators in addressing these matters.

The officers work on campus while school is in session. During the summer break, officers will complete duties assigned by the Police Department. This partnership allows the Police Department to continue educational efforts in local schools while increasing police visibility and presence in the community.

City Council has previously approved the attached agreement. This will be the fourteenth consecutive year that School Resource Officers have been assigned to Peoria Unified School District high school campuses and the first year that School Resource Officers have been assigned to Peoria Unified School District elementary school campuses .

This is a request for City Council to approve the Amended Intergovernmental Agreement (LCON02722) with the Peoria Unified School District to assign Peoria Police Officers as School Resource Officers at four high school campuses in the City of Peoria and four Peoria Police Officers as School Resource Officers in different sectors of the district to support Elementary Schools. .

Once approved by City Council, the agreement will be executed as needed.

The Peoria Unified School District will contribute a portion of each officer’s salary ($60,000 in FY24, and FY25), plus an additional $10,000 for overtime costs per officer ($70,000 total in FY24, and FY25) which is currently budgeted in the Police Department’s operating budget.