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Douglas County approves contract to continue shared School Resource Officer program
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a public contract to continue cost-sharing for the county's School Resource Officer (SRO) program after a presentation from the sheriff's office highlighting program scope, staffing and year‑to‑date activity; the vote passed by voice vote.
Douglas County commissioners on June 24 approved a public contract to continue cost‑sharing for the county School Resource Officer program following a presentation from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Commander Derek Castellano of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office asked the board to approve the 2026 School Resource Officer budget and described the program’s scope and recent activity. "Our team currently supports 57 schools across the county with 37 sworn staff," Castellano said, adding the unit includes "3 sergeants, 2 corporals, and also 1 brand new service dog." He told the board SROs handled 4,623 calls for service in 2024 and recorded 2,583 Safe2Tell tips that year.
The presentation emphasized SRO duties beyond enforcement — mentoring, prevention and connecting students to services — and listed program activities such as youth academies and bicycle safety education. Commissioners spoke in support of maintaining and expanding the program, with several noting the county’s long‑running investment in school safety after the STEM school shooting was cited as a motivating factor for bolstering funding and services.
Members of the board urged continued evaluation and potential expansion of program elements, including the service‑dog pilot that Castellano described; a commissioner asked staff to return with further requests if additional resources were effective. During public comment, one online participant asked why some funds support private schools; the board and sheriff’s office said county responsibility for the safety of children extends to all schools within the county’s jurisdiction, and the sheriff’s office confirmed it responds to crimes anywhere in county jurisdiction.
A motion to approve the contract was made and seconded; the board approved it by voice vote. The SRO team was invited to the front of the chambers for a group acknowledgement and photo after the vote.
The contract approved is listed on the meeting agenda as the 2025‑52026 public contract for services to share costs for the School Resource Officer program.
