Jun. 27—Grady County is a step closer to Sheriff Gary Boggess' vision of having a school resource officer (SRO) in school in the county.
On Monday, the Grady County Commissioners approved contracts for the Grady County Sheriff's Department with Minco Public Schools and Canadian Valley Technology Center (CVTC).
A Grady County Sheriff's Office Deputy will serve as an SRO at Minco Public Schools during the school year.
Canadian Valley Technology Center has requested a deputy to serve as an SRO all year round. When school is not in session at CVTC, the deputy will perform other duties such as patrolling the area, Boggess said.
The sheriff said several schools in Grady County have reached out to ask about contracts for SROs at their schools. The Grady County Sheriff's Department is in the process of searching for qualified applicants. Boggess said the department has advertised through the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association (OSA) and CLEET.
About a month ago, two bills authored by Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, were passed that make it possible for local law enforcement to provide SROs for schools in Oklahoma.
As previously reported, House Bill 2903 creates the three-year pilot program and House Bill 2904 funds the program, allotting about $96,000 to each Oklahoma public school district, according to a press release from the Oklahoma House of Representatives.