Santa Maria council approves agreement to provide school resource officers to high schools; Sotto votes no

The Santa Maria City Council voted 4–1 on Tuesday to authorize agreements allowing the Santa Maria Police Department to provide school resource officers (SROs) to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.

Mayor Patino moved to approve the agreements and the motion passed with Council members Aguilera Hernandez, Cordero and Escobedo voting yes and Council member Sotto voting no. The clerk recorded the roll call after brief discussion.

Council member Sutter asked whether SROs would wear civilian clothes instead of uniforms to appear less intimidating to students; Chief Schneider said the school district preferred officers in uniform for three reasons: a visible deterrent to outsiders, consistency with the officer’s role in campus safety and the district’s experience that officers in uniform can still build mentoring relationships with students. Schneider said the district requested uniformed officers but that the department and schools had discussed using a polo or alternate attire for assemblies or special events.

Council members also asked whether SROs were present in elementary schools; the police representative said three officers had served in elementary schools and that the elementary district had not yet committed to continued funding or board approval. The department said it had involved district staff in selecting officers and that the district’s maintenance staff participated in site observations prior to finalizing placements.

The motion authorizes the city to enter into the agreements with the high school district and to negotiate future agreements with local school districts; the item was taken separately from the consent calendar at a council member’s request.