MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Sheriff Ernie Ornelas announced a plan to the Mineral County Commissioners to help reduce crime in local schools. 

Ornelas explained during the May 9 meeting that there is a grant program available called Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS. The grant would essentially provide the resources to install a school resource officer in local schools.

A school resource officer, or SRO would be warranted in Mineral County because of an increase in drug activity in area schools, which has spiked over the past year, Ornelas said. But, decreases in school and county budgets have made getting one out of pocket impossible. 

“The issue is that we would like to have a school resource officer,” Ornelas said. “Trying to fund one is difficult as we haven’t been able to afford one.” 

The incoming officer would act as a part time SRO and part time probation officer. 

Although the COPS grant would provide funding for three years, an optional fourth year would be up to the schools. 

“The grant would pay for 75 percent of the cost, where the county would have to make up the other 25 percent, but a waiver may be available for that portion,” Ornelas said. 

As of now, the sheriff has discussed the idea with all three school districts - Alberton, Superior and St. Regis, and all seem to be OK with the idea of an SRO. 

“This SRO would be used specifically for school use which is a requirement of the grant,” Ornelas said.  

Even though during the school year the officer would only be available to the schools, this person may be used at community events during the summer, for example, when school is not in session. 

Every school district would be required to sit in during the interviewing process, but would also have to ask each candidate the same set of questions. 

The application doesn’t open until mid to late May, so it wouldn’t be until June when the process closes, and the sheriffs department and school districts wouldn’t likely be informed if they will receive an SRO or not until early fall at the latest. 

“One of the things we would have to write into the grant since it’s a 75/25 match is that we would have to talk to the schools and make sure they are willing to cover that 25 percent during the optional fourth year,” said Charlee Thompson of the Mineral County Attorney’s office.

The officer would have to spend time at each school district within the county. 

 “My other intention is that since the officer will have to work at all the school districts, we would have to work out a plan for some type of equal scheduling,” Ornleas said. “We would also provide flexibility to that deputy for particular school functions, and this person would be handling some of the issues we are having now with the drugs.”

Even though the grant would establish the SRO position, other necessities like a vehicle, gas, and uniforms would have to be provided by the county. 

The commissioners gave their approval for the application process to move forward. 

“The whole idea of COPS is to provide community oriented policing,” Ornelas said. “There isn’t anything more community oriented than the schools.”