Sheriff, juvenile services and SROs report declines in school referrals; program remains five officers for 10 schools

Sheriff Kenny Furlong, Chief of Juvenile Services Ally Bannister and Sergeant Taylor Maris told the Carson City School District Board of Trustees on Jan. 14 that the School Resource Officer (SRO) program and new juvenile outreach positions have reduced school referrals and improved early intervention in district schools.

"Our referrals are down 9.9%," said Linda Lawler, deputy chief of juvenile services, citing outreach specialists’ activity in 2024. Lawler told the board that the juvenile outreach specialists delivered 94 classes and reached 375 students last year and that the referrals decline followed the addition of two outreach specialist positions and closer coordination with the SRO team and school staff.

The SRO team is made up of five officers who cover the district’s 10 schools. Sergeant Taylor Maris described the team’s assignments: two deputies assigned at Carson High School, one at Carson Middle, one at Eagle Valley Middle and a roving deputy who covers elementary campuses and provides canine K-9 presence. Maris said the officers also provide counseling-style interactions, mentorship and resource referrals.

Funding and resources

Sheriff Furlong told the board that roughly half the program’s funding comes from the sheriff’s office general fund and the other half from the city. He also said the department had previously received federal COPS grant funding but that the grant ended and the department worked with the city to maintain staffing levels.

"I would love to have 15, but we know there are budget constraints," Furlong said, adding that the five-officer structure has been adequate for routine operations and that patrol and juvenile probation provide augmentation when incidents surge.

Programs and activities

Bannister described school-based programs run by juvenile services and outreach specialists, including "Play by the Rules" in middle school health classes, evidence-based anger-management programming, in-school suspension programming and a D.A.R.E.-style prevention curriculum in elementary schools. Deputy Chief Lawler said outreach specialists held 24 parent education evenings in 2024 and that the office plans to expand elementary-focused prevention training.

Trustee questions and board comments

Trustees asked about coverage adequacy and trends. Trustee Mike Walker asked whether the program remains adequately funded and whether any grant support continues; Sheriff Furlong confirmed the prior COPS grant ended years ago and the program now relies on city and sheriff’s general-fund support. Trustees and the sheriff praised the interagency cooperation among the sheriff’s office, juvenile probation, the district and the district attorney’s office.

Why it matters

SROs and juvenile outreach programs affect day-to-day student safety, school climate and the district’s capacity to intervene before conduct escalates. The board heard quantitative evidence of reduced referrals and heard staff describe an expansion of prevention-based classroom and parent programs.

Clarifying details

- SRO staffing: five sworn officers assigned across 10 district schools (two at Carson High School; one at Carson Middle; one at Eagle Valley Middle; one roving deputy covering elementary schools and K-9 presence). - Outreach specialist activity (2024): 94 classes; 375 students reached; 24 parent education nights; referrals down 9.9% year over year. - Funding: roughly half of SRO program costs come from the sheriff’s office general fund and roughly half from the city; historic COPS grant funding ended several years ago.

Source and next steps

The briefing was informational. The board did not take formal action on the SRO item but asked staff and partners to continue coordination and to provide updates as needed.