CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Four years after the Clay County School District voted to implement district school police officers following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, board members voted Thursday to reverse that decision and turn over school security to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
In 2019, the Clay County School District made it very well known they had started a new police force. One they portrayed as first-rate. There was even a property tax hike approved by voters to help fund the agency.
But now, in 2023, upon further review, the agency decided to disband the district’s police department in a 4-to-1 vote to begin contract negotiations with the Sheriff’s Office to hopefully have them take over the School Resource Officer (SRO) services starting next year.
Beth Clark, a board member who supported the move, said there is still the same expense to the Sheriff’s Office as there is with paying for a police force. Therefore, the tax hike is not wasted money.
Clark also said nothing as far as security would change if this happens and no one would lose their job. The officers have an option to move to the sheriff’s office. She said everything would be moved over and there should be no additional cost to the taxpayers.
“They shouldn’t see a change because we want to be able to keep our SROs. It’s just that they’ll go from a district chief of police to the Clay County Sheriff’s office. But the SRO, we want them to stay in place, we’re not expecting them to have to leave, but if they leave that’s their choice,” Clark said.
Clark said she voted in favor after reading a grand jury report on what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
“We have to have two separate entities review investigations, make sure that they’re being investigated correctly, and that they’re being investigated totally. We can’t pick and choose, not saying that’s what we’re doing but that is what the grand jury report discovered what is happening when you have district police within the presence of the school district,” Clark said after the meeting.
The meeting was open to public comment and a handful of people opposed the Sheriff’s Office taking over those services.
Stephen Mills, supervisor of safety and security for the school district police department, was one of the opposers who hoped that the district would allocate money to increase manpower and resources for the department.
“As a police department, we can’t operate on how people feel or what the Facebook warriors dictate. Our actions are based on the law, policy and procedure,” Mills said.
The current school district police department has a contract through June 30, 2024, now that the motion has passed, officials are working out the logistics.
Superintendent David Broskie also said there shouldn’t be any lapse in employment through this transition and supports what was decided.
“I found the men and women who worked for our police department to be good folks, working hard, diligent for the safety of students. The board can make a different decision, my role as superintendent is moving forward. We all move forward. Student safety is job one in Clay County, always was and always will be as a result of this,” he said.
Sheriff Michelle Cook released this statement on the issue before the decision was made: “To the parents of Clay County students, I want to emphasize that our children’s safety will continue to be our top priority. If the decision is made to transfer responsibilities to the Sheriff’s Office, we are fully prepared to work closely and collaborate with the Clay County School District to ensure a seamless transition.”
News4JAX reached out to Cook to see if she had an updated statement on the decision.