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Hobbs commission approves MOU to formalize school resource officer program
Summary
The Hobbs City Commission unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Hobbs Municipal Schools and the Lee County Sheriff's Office to clarify school resource officer duties, training, and a $30,000 per-year school contribution toward SRO costs.
The Hobbs City Commission on Sept. 15 unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding among Hobbs Municipal Schools, the Hobbs Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff's Office that defines the assignment, responsibilities and training commitments for certified school resource officers.
The MOU "begins by clarifying the mission of certified school resource officers in the municipal schools as promoting a safe learning environment through law enforcement, mentoring, education, relationship building, and collaboration with school staff," Hobbs Police Chief August Fonz said during the presentation.
Why it matters: the agreement spells out that law enforcement will handle criminal matters while the school district will handle disciplinary actions, commits the district to pay registration and lodging for NASRO training and to provide $30,000 per year to offset SRO overtime and related costs, and frames the SRO role as both safety and relationship-building.
Chief Fonz told commissioners that the MOU covers assignment, requirements and chain of command for assigned SROs and that Hobbs Municipal Schools "will provide registration and lodging expenses for attendance in NASRO" and the $30,000 annual offset. Commissioners asked how many officers would be assigned; Fonz said the document does not set a specific number, noting the intent was to establish continued uniformed presence rather than embed tactical staffing levels in the MOU.
Superintendent Jean Strickland emphasized the program's focus on relationships: "Our goal from a school district standpoint is we desire that presence of a uniformed officer to be about a relationship and not about a security state," she said, adding that meaningful adult-student relationships reduce juvenile offending.
Commissioners also pressed operational questions: staff said on-duty officers make routine morning and afternoon passes and that some schools already have full-time presence when staffing allows. The high school compound, including adjacent facilities, was estimated by presenters to host about 3,200 people on a typical day.
Action: Commissioner roll call votes were recorded as yes from Commissioner Mills, Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Penick, Commissioner Girth and Mayor Pro Tem Joseph Calderon; the resolution passed unanimously. Officials said Hobbs Board of Education was scheduled to consider the MOU the next night and that the Lee County Sheriff's Office expected to sign after its county commission review.
Next steps: the MOU will be implemented as approved pending the school board action and the sheriff's office signature. Commissioners and school leaders said they will continue coordination on staffing levels and operational details rather than embedding specific officer counts in the MOU.
