On the Radio Today Discussing School Safety, SRO's, Funding......and Gun Control

I was on  AM 1370 WCOA this morning discussing how to pay for SRO's statewide utilizing forfeiture funds (Law Enforcement Trust Funds) school safety, the Legislature's "School Marshall" plan, arming teachers, bump stocks, and gun control.

Interesting interview and I certainly did not hold back.

Listen to the full interview  HERE

Why Not Let the "Bad Guys" and their Seized Property Help Pay for the "Good Guys?"

We should take the ill-gotten profits from prisoners and law-breakers, lawfully seized by police, and put the first 50% of these monies into school security programs--that's my opinion

Forfeiture funds are public funds once seized.

And under Florida law there are specific uses for which these funds are appropriate.

The very first use in the statute is for school resource officer programs.  But for reasons that are difficult to understand--not one dime of forfeiture funds in Escambia County has ever been used for the SRO program--an allowable use of these funds.

In fact--it almost seems as if every possible use for these funds has been found--except utilization to help schools.  Look at this chart below.  As of 2017--our local LETF is 97% utilized to fund outside organizations and to fund advertising and promotion of the sheriff's office. not one thin dime for schools....

I'm told a recent request from Washington High School for school hardening(entrance gates) from our LET fund was rejected by Sheriff Morgan.  $5,000.00 for drug patches for probationers was also recently, forcefully rejected by the sheriff.

But the Opera, various balls, the little theater, the Alzheimer association, parties, golf tournaments, the heart association, and all kinds of other requests have been approved. Some of these organizations have an opaque connection to allowable uses for these funds, according to 932.7055.

 I have asked hard questions about these expenditures, but overall these expenditures are not second-guessed.

Now, in the midst of Parkland, everyone is looking for funding to increase SRO and security personnel funding for schools.

Why not carve out the first 50% and make it mandatory that this go to the schools?  This is my proposal that I brought to the Escambia BCC, .got approved 4-1, and sent to Gov. Scott and our delegation today

Now is the time for the state leaders to act.  If our medium-small county of  merely 310,000 people can generate a half-million dollars yearly on average in forfeiture funds (see chart above)--how much statewide is being generated?  How much is funding SROs and school hardening?  How much is being spent like Escambia County--on non-profits and other entities with a nebulous connection, at best, to contemplated uses of these funds?

So I brought forth this plan.  Our commission approved it.  I spoke to each of our legislative delegates.  I hope this gains traction.

Because there is no reason why we (Floridians) cannot take the first 50% of this $30 Million Dollars Yearly funding source and use it to make our schools safer.  And for the local sheriff's around the state, there will still be 50% left for you to use as you determine, subject to approval from your respective Board of County Commission.

But meanwhile--why would we not tap this non-taxpayer funded revenue stream first-before raising taxes or taking from some other program?

Where Should the 1st 50% Go?

This is a question that I will explore today at the BCC meetings later this morning and this evening with an add-on item I will be bringing for the board's consideration.

With an intense focus on school safety happening statewide in the wake of Parkland--all eyes nationwide are on Florida.  Everyone is watching what happens next.

Governor Scott has put forth some solid proposals that have garnered support from stakeholders around the state.  But the tricky detail is funding.  Where will the continuing funding come from if we are to put a SRO or an armed and trained professional security guard in every Florida school? (There are 3,223 schools statewide)

I strongly support this plan but funding must be considered.  the $400 Million will not cover the costs-not even for this year.

According to Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas, the allocation from the Governor's proposed fund for Escambia County schools will only be an additional $1Million dollars in the safe schools allocation, bringing this to a total of roughly $2.2 Million.  Thomas has stated that this amount is insufficient to even cover half of the schools in Escambia County with Armed security or SROs this year.  so it is an unfunded mandate coming right out of the gate....and if required going forward  but not funded--we could be looking at an unfunded mandate in the out years that would be ultimately absorbed by Counties throughout the state.

To mitigate this to some degree--or to create the beginning of a dedicated, recurring revenue stream to pay for these resource officers--I will be bringing the following proposal to send to our legislative delegation tonight:

Make the first 50% of all Law Enforcement Trust Funds statewide be obligated automatically to pay for SRO's or armed professional security guards in Florida County Schools.  Right now, SROs are an allowable expense for LET funds--however as we see in Escambia County and other places--these funds are often not utilized for SRO's.  Often times these funds are spent supporting non-profits and advertising.  As an example--on tonight's agenda we are being asked to fund the following from Escambia County's LET Fund:

A. AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter, in the amount of $25,000;

B. Hadji Shriners, in the amount of $5,000;

C. Panhandle Charitable Open, in the amount of $30,000; (Golf tournament supporting multiple charitable non-profits)

D. Pensacola Mess Hall, in the amount of $5,000;

E. FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, Inc., in the amount of $12,000;

F. Pensacola Little Theatre, Inc., in the amount of $6,000;

G. Christian Surfers, in the amount of $5,000;

H. Pensacola Opera, Inc., in the amount of $5,000; and

I. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, in the amount of $2,000.

Are these really the BEST places to allocate these LET funds?

So why not take the first 50% statewide and ensure, by statute, that we use this source of public funding for the most important cause--protecting schools and children!  If the law is changed, this will happen; it will no longer be a question of if SRO's and/or armed professional security guards at every Florida School will be fully funded--they will be funded or at least the funding for these officers in part will come from a dedicated, recurring source that is not additional taxpayer funds!