Where was SRO?

[Unregistered]

Nothing to see here, move along...

[Unregistered]

This is indeed a question that needs to be answered because there’s two of them dedicated to that school where were they? Obviously they were nowhere to be found because they did not engage anything, LEO’s now all trained to go toward a threat immediately first one on scene! where were the SROs? It’s a very valid question that has yet to be answered, perhaps were all missing something and it’s just a minor detail who knows...

There us only 1 SRD at that HE.

[Unregistered]

There is only one school resource officer dedicated to that High School.

[Unregistered]

To the above poster, I am one of those 10 month a year SROs you describe to some degree. I have been in South Florida Law Enforcement for 30 plus years. I retired in my late 40’s but soon got bored with early retirement. I took an SRO job but had to pass all the requirements of any officer in Broward County’s Police Academy physical agility tests. Thankfully, I stayed in shape. I won’t insult the agency I was hired by but it treats the SROs as second class officers. We are issued old cars and told we don’t need long rifles. Pay has increased very little over the last 5 years I have been there. I stopped offering my opinion long ago as the agency could care less. Now let’s talk about the schools we are assigned to. Most of the principals really don’t want us on campus until we are needed and our opinions to improve safety or conduct staff training is frowned upon. Parents challenge you constantly when you ask them to follow any campus rules such as where to park or pick up their child. Most of the time the students appreciate us being on campus & trying to help them grow up and become productive members of society. I do have to re-qualify with my handgun twice a year and have had recent Active Shooter training. I personally, would not wait for backup in the event of a shooting at my school. I would and could end it ASAP. Please keep in mind if I have a day off or training, no one is sent to replace me. I hope this gives everyone some insight on what it’s like to be an SRO. I do what I do strictly to protect the kids, not for the pay, appreciation, or much else I don’t don’t receive. Stay safe, before we judge the SRO in Parkland let’s get all the facts.

I applaud you for your dedication to your position (you are in the minority) but you can’t argue my assertions about the large majority of the SROs in the county. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Unfortunately until agencies and the school board makes this a priority nothing will change. All I’m asking for is the sheriff to answer the questions posed.

[Unregistered]

I applaud you for your dedication to your position (you are in the minority) but you can’t argue my assertions about the large majority of the SROs in the county. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Unfortunately until agencies and the school board makes this a priority nothing will change. All I’m asking for is the sheriff to answer the questions posed.

Agreed & thank you for being polite.

[Unregistered]

I am not a deputy but have been in South Florida law enforcement for over 20 years. I have worked at 3 departments, 1 as a service aide when I 1st started for 2 years and 2 as a patrolman/detective. The issue here is, when Israel was asked to comment on the actions of the SRO(s), he immediately evaded the question and went onto other questions. In my career, the SROs for the most part are either cops in their last few years or already in the DROP and see it as some place to hide and be lazy. The other set are the ones who are too incompetent to work on patrol or no one else wants to work with them so they're pushed into a school and rarely ever heard from unless it's going 10-8 or 10-7. There are actually departments in this county (Pines) that utilize retired cops from other departments to police the schools paying them over $40k per year (from the school board budget) and only requiring them to work when school is in session. Hell, who WOULDN'T take that gig? Half of the SROs are so fat and out of shape that their holsters point outward. This has GOT to be addressed in the media and not just pushed aside by Israel. Soft targets require hardened cops that run toward the aggressor. I am not stereotyping ALL SROs by any means but am calling it like I've seen it in my career. I know there are some good ones out there but they are in the minority. I want to know where the SRO was, how many are assigned (I've only heard 1), and if the SRO was off or sick, then why wasn't another deputy called for O.T. to work it? It's a very simple set of questions that need to be answered.

If you are talking about BSO SRO program you might be right. I can tell you as an SRO for Miami Dade Schools Police Dept. not so much. Most are fit and the median age is 30. We have a lot of aggressive guys, but are around 180 total in numbers with about 360 schools to cover. When you take away Brass , Detectives, K-9 afternoons and midnights we have at best 110 Officers on a good day inside our schools. Heck I have a High School and barely there because I’m dealing with 2 middle schools and 3 elementary and a Technical School mostly almost alway by myself. Today I was the only SRO within 10 miles in any direction handling 2 high schools and 2 middle schools and 6 elementary because my partner at the middle school had a 39 “Arrest” for all you 10 code guys. The other high school Officer was off all week.

It’s tooooo much to handle for so little people. I’m not even including court time or arrests. We need more officers and better equipment. Also the pay it terrible here we have many officers leave within a couple of years to other departments for better pay. Many become Detectives in homicide and robbery or get in specialized units with in a couple of years of leaving for the Miami Dade County or other better paying agency’s.

Heck I was one of the first officer after years pushing the brass to let us carry rifles. I’m finally trained and have my personal rifle in my vehicle and extra mags because the department lets us carry after we train but don’t supply us with them.

If they gave a crap they would properly fund us. But they don’t.

[Unregistered]

I am not a deputy but have been in South Florida law enforcement for over 20 years. I have worked at 3 departments, 1 as a service aide when I 1st started for 2 years and 2 as a patrolman/detective. The issue here is, when Israel was asked to comment on the actions of the SRO(s), he immediately evaded the question and went onto other questions. In my career, the SROs for the most part are either cops in their last few years or already in the DROP and see it as some place to hide and be lazy. The other set are the ones who are too incompetent to work on patrol or no one else wants to work with them so they're pushed into a school and rarely ever heard from unless it's going 10-8 or 10-7. There are actually departments in this county (Pines) that utilize retired cops from other departments to police the schools paying them over $40k per year (from the school board budget) and only requiring them to work when school is in session. Hell, who WOULDN'T take that gig? Half of the SROs are so fat and out of shape that their holsters point outward. This has GOT to be addressed in the media and not just pushed aside by Israel. Soft targets require hardened cops that run toward the aggressor. I am not stereotyping ALL SROs by any means but am calling it like I've seen it in my career. I know there are some good ones out there but they are in the minority. I want to know where the SRO was, how many are assigned (I've only heard 1), and if the SRO was off or sick, then why wasn't another deputy called for O.T. to work it? It's a very simple set of questions that need to be answered.

I hope you are aware that almost all of the SRO jobs do not offer any benefits as they are considered part time jobs. So basically, an SRO is making a teacher's salary minus any benefits. This is why almost all of the SRO's are retired cops who can afford to make such a paltry salary without any benefits due to the fact that they are already living pretty comfortably from their pension.

[Unregistered]

So you "heard from a buddy that was there within 15 minutes" and "from what I gathered Parkland deputies set up a box etc etc." The fact is that a Parkland Deputy was with the Coral Springs officers when they gained entry into the west door. And a Parkland Deputy was with other Coral Springs officers at the east door dragging injured children out, etc. That's two Parkland deputies which is half their road patrol shift that day. And there were other BSO there. And everyone did what they did to clear the building and get the injured out. I give Coral Springs PD high praise for what they did that day and how they responded. They are an excellent department! I can't speak for every Parkland deputy and what they did, but what i mentioned above is true. Can we please stop spreading rumors and allow this investigation to take its course.

Pull the tapes or look at CAD. I know a Deputy that was on scene within 30 seconds and took a perimeter location Why??? Is this due to lack of training? Is this Deputy a coward? Does this person need to be re-trained? Or does this person need to find another line of work?

[Unregistered]

Pull the tapes or look at CAD. I know a Deputy that was on scene within 30 seconds and took a perimeter location Why??? Is this due to lack of training? Is this Deputy a coward? Does this person need to be re-trained? Or does this person need to find another line of work?

FEAR!! Plain and simple. There is nothing wrong with fear in a cop but a scared cop still has to go in. We keep hiring and retaining people that are not fighters or warriors. You see them everyday in this profession. Hopefully, they will realize that our profession is not all about lunch breaks and special details. Wear the badge if you want to but someday someone will punch your time clock and it will be go time. This event clearly showed those who froze. It is a goddam Greek tragedy because the ones that want to be there are rarely blessed with the opportunity to go in there and destroy the bad. I would say it would weigh down on their conscientious but twats (not an attack on female deputies) like those don't give a second thought because they are so glad they avoided a dangerous situation. I know it is scary as hell but we took the oath, we have to go.

[Unregistered]

BSO, it is your responsibility to police yourself! Failure to engage the shooter starts at the top! The Sheriff must take responsibility for "his" agency's failures and not pass the blame to you Deputies! Get rid for your Communist, Leftist, Democrat Sheriff. He doesn't care about you or the people of Broward County! Only himself! At the end of the day, NO Sheriff can politically survive such a screwed up incident like this one with the enormous failures by many related to it! It's now time to do the right thing and police yourself! Give the Sheriff a vote of no confidence and make it known throughout the entire United States!

Don't wait! Strike while the iron is hot and you have so much support! Make BSO "Great Again" like it once was and get rid of your idiot Sheriff!!! Force you union leaders to call a press conference and announce your vote of no confidence. Otherwise, the people of Broward County, along with the entire United States, with the help of the Sheriff, will blame each of you personally for the failures of this incident! Don't let that happen! Get rid of the idiot!