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Rohnert Park chief cites staffing shortfalls as reason SRO was pulled; council presses on retention, overhire options
Summary
Rohnert Park's public-safety chief told the council he withdrew the city's dedicated school resource officer because staffing gaps — injuries, medical leave and 10 officers in training — forced the department to prioritize patrol and fire coverage. Council members and school leaders urged retention steps and interagency solutions while district leaders warned of the loss of campus relationships.
Rohnert Park's public-safety chief told the City Council on Jan. 27 that insufficient staffing forced him to remove the city's dedicated school resource officer (SRO) from campus duty for the current shift rotation.
The chief said his department requires 34 sworn staff to fully staff patrol but currently has about 27 available; roughly 34% of full-time employees are out of regular assignment because of injuries on duty, FMLA, or because they are still in multi-month training. "The last thing I wanted to do was pull the SRO out of school," the chief said, "I believe in the SRO programs and I believe in school safety." He added the department will continue school visits even while the position is unfilled.
The chief described the SRO role as a liaison who counsels, builds relationships, develops safety plans and treats arrest as a last resort. He also said hiring and training a public-safety officer can take up to two years and cost about $123,000 per recruit when academy and fire training are included.
Council members pressed for more details and asked about possible fixes, including hiring "overhires" (extra recruits to create staffing cushion) and retention incentives. Council Member Adams said retention is the top lever: "If we can address the retention program, we can address that always having that cycle in training." The chief said overhire slots already proved useful in prior years because they act as a bullpen when someone goes out on leave.
Education leaders urged urgency. Heather Remy, principal at Rancho High School, told council that the SRO is a daily mentor and trusted adult who helped reduce campus incidents, saying the school has seen what she described as a "63% reduction in violence" over three years and that rotating officers cannot replicate the trust a single SRO builds.
Council Member Rodriguez and others asked staff to explore hybrid or shared arrangements with neighboring agencies and the school district; the chief said conversations with neighboring agencies are possible but emphasized the SRO and patrol jobs require different equipment and expectations.
The council asked the city manager to return within 30 to 60 days with an overhire review and a proposed citywide retention policy that could address recruitment and retention citywide, not just in public safety. The council did not take formal action to restore the SRO at the meeting; the chief said his goal is to have staffing stabilize so the SRO position can be reconsidered for the fall school term.
What happens next: city staff will report back on overhire costs and a retention strategy; the chief said if staffing metrics materially improve at the next shift bid the SRO could be reinstated.
