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Brookings council defeat leaves Curry County weighing options for Harbor community resource officer
Summary
After the Brookings City Council failed to approve a shared CRO agreement, Curry County commissioners discussed using opioid-settlement funds to staff the position through the sheriff’s office or to continue negotiations with Brookings.
Curry County commissioners discussed next steps after the Brookings City Council did not approve a proposed agreement to jointly fund a community resource officer (CRO) for the Harbor area.
The contract under discussion would have used opioid-settlement funds to help fund a CRO shared between Curry County and the city of Brookings. County commissioners and staff said Brookings’ council did not pass the agreement at its meeting the previous night, so the service is not in place.
Commissioners reviewed options: direct additional opioid funds to the sheriff’s office to expand the county-funded CRO position, hold a county workshop to consider alternative uses of those opioid funds, or continue negotiating contract language with Brookings to address council concerns. County staff said there is one full-time CRO position in the sheriff’s office budget that remains unfilled and that several applicants exist; county staff also said the sheriff has prioritized filling jail positions and indicated reluctance to fill CRO vacancies immediately.
Commissioners said the CRO service remains a priority for the Harbor community and discussed scheduling further meetings for staff to refine contract terms and to address Brookings’ questions about fiscal exposures. The board did not take a formal vote on funding or contracting for the CRO during the special meeting and directed Director Fitzgerald to continue working with the Brookings city manager and chief to try to resolve outstanding concerns.
