Council directs one additional SRO in amended ILA; police report recruitment gains after market adjustments

Cibolo Police Chief Cedric Andrews told the City Council the department has made steady hiring gains after recent market adjustments and grant awards, and council gave verbal direction to add one additional school resource officer (SRO) to an amended interlocal agreement (ILA) with the local school district on a cost‑neutral basis.

Lede: Chief Cedric Andrews said the department had hired eight officers between October and June and had multiple cadets in training; those recruits, plus grant‑funded positions, substantially reduced vacancies that had earlier hampered patrol coverage.

Nut graf: Council and staff discussed a trade‑off: adding SROs under an ILA paid by the school district keeps the SRO program cost‑neutral to the city but shifts the mix of experience in patrol because several veteran officers will fill school posts. Council asked for clarity about how adding SROs affects the city’s geographic policing goals and staffing levels.

Staff summary and numbers

- Hiring and vacancies: Chief Andrews said the department hired eight officers from Oct. to June, had three officers in field training, five cadets in the training academy and additional hires at various academy stages. With those hires and existing staff, the chief said patrol positions are filled on paper, though several newly hired officers remain in training phases.

- Grant awards and program changes: Chief Andrews said the department secured a grant (identified in materials as an MVCPA/MDCPA grant) that added officers and a crime analyst; the SRO ILA also was amended to add language about sergeant responsibilities, class instruction and liability insurance, and the school district requested an additional SRO to be added when five campuses are covered.

- Cost and ILA structure: Presentations and council discussion described the SRO program as largely cost‑neutral because the school district covers salaries for SROs; staff provided an itemized annual cost estimate for the SRO program (materials showed about $1.044 million under current staffing and about $1.32 million if one additional officer were added) and emphasized most overtime tied to the SRO program is banked as comp time and used during summer months.

Council direction and rationale

- Council authorization: The council provided direction to staff to amend the SRO ILA to add one additional SRO position that would be filled when patrol staffing is fully established; the chief said the extra position would help cover campuses and let supervisors respond to incidents rather than remain posted.

- Geographic‑policing discussion: Several council members voiced a preference for implementing a geographic policing model that assigns officers by district to ensure year‑round coverage. Staff replied the geographic model requires additional recurring staffing funding; in the meantime, staff said filling current patrol slots and implementing the ILA amendment was the practical path forward.

Quotes and context

"Thanks to our city council approving our bond initiative…our police and fire departments have benefited," Chief Cedric Andrews said, summarizing recruiting and retention gains after market adjustments and noting success with the recent grant that increased ranks.

Ending

Staff said they will bring a formal amended ILA back to the council for approval; until then the council’s direction will be treated as authorization for staff to finalize the contract language with the school district. Council members asked staff to continue reporting on recruiting progress, overtime drivers and timeline for achieving the geographic policing staffing model.