SANTA ANA : Schools to Seek Grant for Police Officers

After questioning an unusual proposal to bring community-based policing to the school district, trustees have decided to apply for a federal grant to help pay for four additional police officers.

Santa Ana Unified School District trustees voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to ask the U.S. Justice Department to pay 75% of the salaries of the officers for up to three years.

Community policing is a program in which beat officers build ties with the community by outreach programs such as substations and working with business owners and community groups.

The school district’s four sworn officers patrol schools and respond to calls on an as-needed basis, said Gaylen Freeman, an assistant superintendent. The district would consider altering the way it performs police work if it were able to hire additional officers, he said.

Trustees questioned the proposal because the school district would have to buy a third police car for the extra officers at a cost of $25,000. And after the three-year grant is up, the district would have to pay for the officers without federal help or lay them off.

“Extra money has to go to the kids,” said Trustee Tom Chaffee, who voted against applying for the grant. But he added the district needs more officers.

Chaffee was joined by Trustee Rosemarie Avila in opposing the grant application. Avila cited concerns about having to pay for the officers in the future and comply with numerous federal requirements.

Freeman said incidents of theft and vandalism have not risen this year, but the value of the property stolen has gone up.