Continental, Sopori to lose Sheriff’s resource officers

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has cut funding for its school resource officer program, which helps teach kids about drugs, because it needs more deputies patrolling the streets, a spokeswoman for the department says.

Deputy Dawn Barkman said in a press release last week that the program will be suspended at the end of the current school year due to a $5.5 million budget shortage projected for the next fiscal year. She said the department anticipates reinstating it “once the economy recovers, deputy hiring resumes, and deputy staffing reaches a level to support this needed program.”

Budget cuts are also forcing the department to shut down its basic law enforcement academies for the rest of this fiscal year, and to cut back or suspend programs such as the border crimes unit and the DUI unit.

About 20 deputies comprise the resource officer unit, and will be reassigned to basic patrol duties beginning in June, said Barkman. The unit currently serves 12 school districts which include seven high schools, 17 middle schools, and 37 elementary schools.

Continental School in Green Valley and Sopori Elementary School in Amado have benefitted from having a school resource officer on campus to teach kids about the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse, and show them that law officers can be trusted, school officials say.

“It helps create a positive relationship with law enforcement,” said Desi Ralston, principal at Sopori. “When students see officers outside of school, it may not always be a positive situation.”

She says their resource officer, the same officer assigned to Continental, teaches valuable lessons on making good choices, and avoiding bad situations such as bullying and taking drugs.

Continental Superintendent Jim Nelson said that most importantly, the program teaches students to respect themselves.

“It’s sad that we have to cut programs that are so valuable. This is just another example of how the recession is hitting close to home.”

While the school resource officer for the Sahuarita Unified School District, Sahuarita Police officer Mike Blevins, is funded by the state, the district may also face losing his services in the upcoming school year, said Superintendent Jay St. John.

The district actually lost its funding last year, but Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold donated $42,000 to keep Blevins on staff. Unlike resource officers with the Sheriff’s Department, Blevins teaches a street law class at Sahuarita High School and is a constant presence at the area schools.

“We haven’t made a decision on what we’re going to do this year,” said St. John. “This program is absolutely critical to what we do.”

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726