Manatee County School District launches safety program

Lakewood Ranch resident Pete Quinn stood back as Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lou Gregory stepped up to his target with a permanent marker and began counting bullet holes.

He had done well — 45 of 48 shots on target — Gregory said.

Quinn, a retired police lieutenant from upstate New York, had been working part time at a gun range to keep himself busy since retiring in September 2016. But July 23, he joined the School District of Manatee County as an armed security officer, called a guardian. The school board created the Guardian Program in June as a way to provide armed security in 33 public elementary schools.

“I thought it was the perfect way to give to my community using the skills I’ve learned in my law enforcement career,” Quinn said. “I

thought I could really help.”

This school year, school districts statewide must provide armed security officers at all public schools because of legislation passed in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Feb. 14 in Parkland.

Manatee’s guardians will work on a 10-month schedule and be paid between $20.50 and $33.07 per hour. There will be 38 guardian and two lead guardian positions. Five of the 38 guardian positions are floating posts so schools are covered in case of illness, vacation or other reasons.

Pat Bartholomew, the school district’s newly appointed director of safety and security and designated school safety specialist, said the first group of guardians will deploy to schools the second week of school — Aug. 20. The second group will begin its 144 hours of state-required training with the Sheriff’s Office that day.

Off-duty Sheriff’s Office deputies will be on campuses until guardians are in place at each elementary school, and the Sheriff’s Office will have school resource officers (SROs)at middle and high schools through contracts with the Sheriff’s Office, as they were previously.

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said during the first week of school, if there are not enough off-duty deputies available, his office will use detectives, administrative staff and other qualified individuals to fill the gap.

“It’s a huge undertaking,” Wells said. “We’re hoping we only have to do the full slate (of guardian positions) for a week. Whenever we get those 19 (guardians) in place, it’ll be a huge burden lifted off of us.”

Bartholomew said guardians are not certified deputies and will not have law enforcement authority, however, they will build relationships with students and school staff and work to protect the school campus in the same way SROs do.

“Their mission is to prevent or abate an assailant on campus,” said Bartholomew, who had a 31-year career with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office before joining the school district. “We would like to see law enforcement in all our schools, but finances dictated otherwise. Our guardians will be well trained. (Besides) the uniforms, I don’t think you are going to see much of a difference.”

Bartholomew said the district received 270 applications for the guardian positions and 70 applications for the lead (supervisory) guardian positions. Of successful applicants, he estimated 80% are former law enforcement or military. The others worked in security.

“We want to go with experience in law enforcement,” Bartholomew said of candidates. “The chances of an active shooter are very remote, but we do want to be prepared in case that situation comes up.

“These are professional people,” Bartholomew said of candidates. “They volunteered for this job. They’re dedicated and you can see it.”

Mike Parker, a 31-year policeman in Montgomery County, Md., is one of them. He retired three weeks before starting training July 23. He had planned to work part time at a place like The Home Depot, but instead decided to apply for a guardian post. He spent most of his career in law enforcement dealing in crimes against children and sexual abuse.

“For a retirement job, this is perfect,” Parker said.

School district staff and school board members said they are confident in guardians’ abilities, but they remain uncertain as to the program’s future. Board member Charlie Kennedy said whether the district will continue with guardians or pursue having SROs in elementary schools will depend on whether the Legislature funds its mandate to have armed officers at schools.

“In the short term, I’m good with (guardians),” Kennedy said. “I feel better now that I’ve seen the applicants.”

Wells said if the school board decides to have SROs in elementary schools instead of guardians, he’s ready to talk.

“We’re always here to facilitate that once they know what they want to do,” Wells said.

Training a certified deputy takes about one year, including  six months at the law enforcement academy and another six months in field training, he said.