Buckingham, Central Bucks Close To Approving SRO Program At East

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Central Bucks School District is nearing an agreement with Buckingham Township to place a School Resource Officer at Central Bucks East High School.

“We are happy to report that we are very close to an agreement between Buckingham Township and the Central Bucks School District that will enable us to begin the School Resource Officer program at CB East,” announced board president Dana Hunter.

The district is also in talks with the Central Bucks Regional Police Department to bring the program to Central Bucks High School West.

In March, district administrators attended the monthly meeting of the police commission to propose partnering with the district to designate one of its a police officer as an SRO.

Director of Operations Kevin Spencer detailed the successful relaunch of the CB South SRO program, a partnership between Warrington Township Police and CBSD, which resumed in September 2022 after a 4-year hiatus.

After successfully implementing the SRO program at South, Spencer said the district would like to use the same model at West, partnering with the Central Bucks Regional Police to provide an on-site officer at the school.

An SRO is a sworn local law enforcement employee who has the authority to make arrests, respond to calls and document incidents that occur within the school. The officer's presence, said Spencer, provides not only a visual reminder of safety, but offers a mentorship opportunity to students, teachers, administrators and security personnel.

Beyond their law enforcement responsibilities, the SRO also participates in educational programming, emergency management planning and strives to employ non-punitive techniques when interacting with at-risk students, said Spencer.

"SRO's bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement with that daily interaction between students and the SRO each day as well as well the educational initiatives they are involved with at the school," said Spencer. "And they do prevent violence," he said.

In 2021 the United States Secret Service looked at 67 school attacks that were averted, according to Spencer. "In 33 percent of those attacks that were averted the SROs played a key role in helping to determine an attack or impact of attacks that didn't happen. They also present a visible deterrent from anything happening in the school while they are there. And they serve as trusted adults within the school community," said Spencer.

In its proposal to the commission, the school district would pay the salary and benefits of the SRO for two years.

That prompted Council President and police committee member Jack O'Brien to ask, "What are the expectations of this continuing beyond the two years?"

"The expectation is that this would continue," said Spencer. "Our goal is to fund that officer. We don't want that officer to be a burden on your municipality. We want to relieve that burden from you."

The commission made no decision at its March meeting, but said it would continue the discussion at its upcoming monthly meetings and at its various borough council meetings.

"This decision is not an easy one. We will be picking through it," said chairman Brian Wallace. "Part of the decision to us is not really whether it's necessary or not, the much bigger question is, 'Do we want to participate?' And that is going to be a more lengthy discussion as far as the commission is concerned. So keep tuned. We'll see how this ends up."

The Central Bucks Regional Police Department covers three boroughs - Doylestown, Chalfont and New Britain.

The school board has been working on a long term plan to place SRO’s at the district’s three high schools through partnerships with its local police departments.

Last June, a presentation was made during a board executive session showing the data supporting the increased safety and student benefits of implementing the School Resource Officer Program in all three high schools. The board subsequently approved a budget that included funding for three School Resource Officers.