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Board committee recommends short-term contract with NC Protection Group as SRO recruiting lags
Summary
A temporary safety committee recommended the superintendent's short-term contract with the North Carolina Protection Group to supplement armed coverage in schools while the district pursues longer-term recruiting and policy changes; the recommendation generated divided comments from board members.
Moore County Schools' temporary safety committee recommended adding a short-term contract with the North Carolina Protection Group to supplement school security as recruiting for School Resource Officers (SROs) lags.
At the committee meeting and again in the board work session, board member Benway said he was "more concerned, more a sense of urgency than I've ever had" and urged immediate measures to ensure armed coverage at schools. "As we speak, many of our schools are unprotected by armed law enforcement," Benway said, reading a memorandum he entered into the record.
Superintendent Neil Locklear told the board the committee has asked staff to explore options including off-duty municipal officers and coordination with county law enforcement. Locklear said the district is assessing short-term options while pursuing longer-term fixes, including legislative avenues at the state level to ease recruitment and role constraints for SROs.
Board member Davis, who served on the temporary safety committee, said the measure should be viewed as an "and" rather than an "or": an interim layer of protection that would not replace recruitment or policy change. "I believe it is in the best interest of Moore County Schools that we accept our superintendent's recommendation for the North Carolina Protection Group as a force multiplier and another opportunity to protect our students right now," she said during committee remarks.
Some board members urged a broader plan. Board member Johnson said he favored addressing the root recruitment problem and wants any short-term contract to be part of a phased plan that leads to permanent, locally sourced SRO coverage.
Board members also discussed logistics: the proposed NC Protection Group engagement would be a 20-day contract (as described in committee notes), and staff said it would not eliminate the district's ongoing recruiting or the need for state-level policy changes. Interim Chief Gooch and other district staff briefed the committee on current SRO staffing and operational challenges.
What happens next: the temporary safety committee recommended adding the superintendent's NC Protection Group recommendation to the October 13 board agenda as an action item; staff will continue outreach to municipal police, the sheriff's office and state representatives and will return recruitment and policy options for further board consideration.
