Hamilton County Sheriff hopefuls suggest ways to cut costs

Each candidate for Hamilton County sheriff said Monday he is in favor of school resource officers in the county’s schools, but they also said there needs to be some changes in the expensive program.

“We don’t even have a formula for which school the officer would go in,” said Democratic candidate Greg Beck, who has argued that schools get SROs for political reasons rather than need.

The candidates spoke at a forum hosted Monday evening by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Chattanooga Chapter, the Hamilton County Voter Council and the 100 Black Men of Chattanooga.

Mr. Beck said not all resource officers should have to be certified deputies but instead could be someone in the school who keeps order. He said parents need to be more involved in their childrens’ schools and responsible for their children’s behavior.

A deputy serving as an SRO costs the county about $85,000 per year, Mr. Beck said. About 20 deputies now work as SROs in Hamilton County middle and high schools.

Independent candidate Jim Winters said it should cost the county less than $85,000 to put an officer in a school. As a cost-cutting measure, SROs could use older cars, he suggested.

“They don’t have to have a new automobile,” Mr. Winters said.

He also suggested that county commissioners take money out of their discretionary funds to place officers in schools within their districts or that money used to pay Walden Security for courthouse security be used instead for SROs.

Republican candidate Jim Hammond said it costs the county about $80,000 for an SRO, including salary and benefits such as health insurance. He suggested a coalition of school officials, law enforcement agencies, legal professionals and academics develop a plan for the program.

Tim Akins, also an independent candidate, suggested a special school for students who regularly misbehave.

“The problems we have in the schools are repeat offenders,” he said.

Mr. Akins said officers could be placed in that school instead of all over the county.

“A school resource officer’s one man,” he said. “And sometimes he’s up in there with 1,000 students. And as soon as violence breaks out, he’s in trouble because he has to use violence also.”

Write-in candidate Fred Fuson said he would not put an officer in every school.

“You have an SRO in the school where you have problems,” he said.

Still, Mr. Fuson said, funding needs to be allocated “wherever we can find it.”