Retired officers now eligible to serve as school officers in Arizona
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed House Bill 2074, expanding Arizona’s School Safety Program and broadening the pool for eligible officers who can serve in schools. The new legislation allows schools to hire retired officers who left in good standing.
In a press conference on Wednesday, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne celebrated the win. “It makes more officers available because now we can use retired officers,” said Horne.
Horne said one of the biggest challenges to improving school safety is a shortage of available law enforcement officers. Some schools in Arizona are having to share school resource officers, while in other cases, police are picking up extra shifts and working at schools during their off-duty hours. “Police departments are unwilling to send police officers to school, even though the position has been paid for, because they’re short,” said Horne.
The bill also requires school districts to train all hired officers on how to identify and appropriately interact with students who have disabilities. Additionally, if a school can’t hire an officer because of staffing shortages, it may use school safety program funds for other safety upgrades. “If you can not fill those positions, then there’s an opportunity to use those monies for either safety training, safety technology, or infrastructure improvements,” said Mike Kurtenbach, director of school safety at the Arizona Department of Education.
While the Arizona Department of Education supports the move, not everyone agrees that having armed officers on campus is the right solution. Horne said school districts that have opted out of having safety officers on campus should reconsider. “We’re asking the board very respectfully to change their mind because these positions are so drastically needed that teachers have requested them, parents have requested them,” said Horne.
Currently, around 300 school resource officers and 700 school safety officers are serving in Arizona schools. It’s a number that could grow by the next school year under the expanded program.
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