199 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
199 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
May 1990
|
||
|
||
G.R.A.M.P.A. COPS
|
||
|
||
By
|
||
|
||
Jere L. Spurlin
|
||
Police Chief
|
||
and
|
||
Steve Schwein
|
||
Captain
|
||
Fort Myers, Florida, Police Department
|
||
|
||
|
||
The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program is a valuable drug
|
||
deterrence and safety program acclaimed by school teachers,
|
||
administrators, school children, and parent associations.
|
||
Unfortunately, limited financial resources in most jurisdictions
|
||
prohibit administrators from staffing these programs adequately.
|
||
Most chiefs and sheriffs feel compelled to assign personnel for
|
||
``street'' patrol rather than for administrative and support
|
||
positions, which are the categories under which most school
|
||
resource officers fall.
|
||
|
||
In an effort to expand the services of the School Resource
|
||
Officer Program, yet live within the proposed budgetary
|
||
constraints, the Fort Myers, Florida, Police Department took an
|
||
introspective review of its 10-year program. It determined that
|
||
the most essential component to the program's success was a
|
||
patient, understanding officer who enjoyed being with children.
|
||
This officer also needed sufficient job knowledge to provide a
|
||
valuable learning experience to children of all ages and had to
|
||
be totally committed to both law enforcement and education.
|
||
|
||
While there were many officers who met the criteria, they
|
||
were already assigned to critical positions within the
|
||
department. Basically, the most qualified people for the job
|
||
were the least affordable. This lead the department to turn to a
|
||
readily available external resource, which resulted in the
|
||
establishment of the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program.
|
||
|
||
WHO ARE G.R.A.M.P.A. COPS?
|
||
|
||
As the name of the program implies, G.R.A.M.P.A. (Getting
|
||
Retirees Actively Motivated to Policing Again) Cops are retired
|
||
law enforcement officers who, for one reason or another, want to
|
||
get involved in policing again. To tap this valuable resource,
|
||
the department recruited retired police officers to work in
|
||
schools, along with school resource officers, to carry the drug
|
||
prevention message to youths.
|
||
|
||
Essentially, police retirees are no different from those who
|
||
retire from the public sector. Some cherish their free time and
|
||
enjoy their retirement, while others are bored and miss the
|
||
day-to-day camaraderie of their fellow officers.
|
||
|
||
Under the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program, retired police officers
|
||
are certified as auxiliary officers, trained in the school
|
||
resource function, and assigned to local schools. The primary
|
||
mission of all G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops is to promote drug abuse
|
||
prevention in all city schools through education and counseling.
|
||
In Fort Myers, G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops deliver educational programs to
|
||
youths through standardized programs that have been developed
|
||
and approved by the police department. But, they still can be
|
||
called upon to assist school resource officers in other programs
|
||
like bicycle safety or child molestation prevention.
|
||
|
||
RECRUITING
|
||
|
||
Through contact with the community, the department
|
||
identified nearly 1,000 senior citizens with varying degrees of
|
||
law enforcement experience who lived within the Fort Myers area.
|
||
Some of these law enforcement retirees even organized as a civic
|
||
group so that they could hold monthly meetings to fraternize with
|
||
fellow officers and to reminisce on their law enforcement
|
||
careers.
|
||
|
||
Advertising for applicants for the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program
|
||
through the printed and electronic media was also used to
|
||
attract applicants. It also provided much-needed recognition to
|
||
the School Resource Officer Program.
|
||
|
||
OFFICER SELECTION CRITERIA
|
||
|
||
In order to qualify for the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program, all
|
||
applicants must:
|
||
|
||
* Have a minimum of 5 years' sworn law enforcement
|
||
experience
|
||
|
||
* Be at least 40 years of age at the date of hire
|
||
|
||
* Be in good physical condition as determined by the
|
||
departmental physician
|
||
|
||
* Meet the basic requirements for admittance into the
|
||
Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training
|
||
Commission Basic Recruit School for reserve and
|
||
auxiliary officers
|
||
|
||
* Have a Florida driver's license and a good driving record
|
||
|
||
* Submit letters of recommendation from three superior
|
||
officers from their former department who have knowledge
|
||
of their work performance and character
|
||
|
||
* Successfully pass a thorough background investigation,
|
||
which will include a polygraph
|
||
|
||
* Be screened by a police oral board which will be comprised
|
||
of Fort Myers Police supervisory personnel and school
|
||
resource officers representing various law enforcement
|
||
agencies throughout the county. (Final appointment will
|
||
be by the chief of police at the recommendations of the
|
||
public information officer who is the supervisor of the
|
||
School Resource Officer Program)
|
||
|
||
* Submit dual applications to the City of Fort Myers and
|
||
the Fort Myers Police Department
|
||
|
||
* Realize that they are not subject to civil service
|
||
protection
|
||
|
||
TRAINING
|
||
|
||
Because G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops are police retirees, most have a
|
||
minimum of 20 years of law enforcement experience. Thus, formal
|
||
training is not usually necessary. However, to ensure the
|
||
continuity and integrity of the program, accepted applicants
|
||
attend a 2-week training session at the police academy. There,
|
||
they become familiar with the school resource officer function,
|
||
policies of the school board, and current programs. Two days are
|
||
dedicated to drugs and the prevention of drug abuse, how to
|
||
recognize abusers, and steps to be taken to refer abusers to
|
||
treatment programs.
|
||
|
||
During the training, the duties, responsibilities, and
|
||
community role of the reserve officer are outlined, because
|
||
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops become certified as reserve officers at the end
|
||
of their training. This makes them eligible to participate in
|
||
ride-along programs and crowd control at parades and sporting
|
||
events. Also, administrative staff members and supervisors
|
||
lecture on departmental policies, rules, regulations, and general
|
||
and special orders.
|
||
|
||
After graduating from the academy, G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops
|
||
accompany experienced school resource officers for 1 week before
|
||
assuming their regular assignments.
|
||
|
||
FINANCIAL BENEFITS
|
||
|
||
Aside from the obvious benefit of having experienced and
|
||
qualified retirees interacting positively with the area's youth,
|
||
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops save the taxpayers money. In fact, the cost of
|
||
manning the School Resource Officer Program with G.R.A.M.P.A.
|
||
Cops instead of new, inexperienced police officers is half as
|
||
expensive. (See Table A.)
|
||
|
||
_________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Table A
|
||
COST COMPARISON
|
||
|
||
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Police Officer
|
||
|
||
Hourly $6.00 $ 9.06
|
||
X Benefits (35%) None 3.15
|
||
Total Cost $6.00 $12.21
|
||
_________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
But, perhaps the greatest feature of the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop
|
||
Program is its ``easy financing.'' Not only is this program the
|
||
most cost-effective means of providing children with drug abuse
|
||
prevention counseling, but it is also eligible for funding under
|
||
Florida Statute 932.704. Under the provisions of this statute,
|
||
any department that has an aggressive policy in terms of seizing
|
||
and selling contraband, vessels, motor vehicles, aircraft, and
|
||
other personal property can finance their G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop
|
||
Program with forfeited funds.
|
||
|
||
CONCLUSION
|
||
|
||
Without a doubt, the Fort Myers Police Department's
|
||
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program has greatly benefited the community. It
|
||
has enabled experienced, seasoned officers to reenter the
|
||
profession and has decreased operating costs to the department.
|
||
It also allows the department to double the number of active
|
||
school resource officers within its current budget or to
|
||
significantly reduce the personnel costs of its respective SRO
|
||
program.
|
||
|
||
Police departments cannot afford to overlook or misuse
|
||
valuable resources that are readily available to them. By
|
||
employing retired law enforcement officers as auxiliary officers
|
||
in service functions, a department not only gains a wealth of
|
||
knowledge, ability, and expertise but also dedicated individuals
|
||
who can contribute to the safety and well-being of the community.
|
||
|