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May 1990
G.R.A.M.P.A. COPS
By
Jere L. Spurlin
Police Chief
and
Steve Schwein
Captain
Fort Myers, Florida, Police Department
The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program is a valuable drug
deterrence and safety program acclaimed by school teachers,
administrators, school children, and parent associations.
Unfortunately, limited financial resources in most jurisdictions
prohibit administrators from staffing these programs adequately.
Most chiefs and sheriffs feel compelled to assign personnel for
``street'' patrol rather than for administrative and support
positions, which are the categories under which most school
resource officers fall.
In an effort to expand the services of the School Resource
Officer Program, yet live within the proposed budgetary
constraints, the Fort Myers, Florida, Police Department took an
introspective review of its 10-year program. It determined that
the most essential component to the program's success was a
patient, understanding officer who enjoyed being with children.
This officer also needed sufficient job knowledge to provide a
valuable learning experience to children of all ages and had to
be totally committed to both law enforcement and education.
While there were many officers who met the criteria, they
were already assigned to critical positions within the
department. Basically, the most qualified people for the job
were the least affordable. This lead the department to turn to a
readily available external resource, which resulted in the
establishment of the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program.
WHO ARE G.R.A.M.P.A. COPS?
As the name of the program implies, G.R.A.M.P.A. (Getting
Retirees Actively Motivated to Policing Again) Cops are retired
law enforcement officers who, for one reason or another, want to
get involved in policing again. To tap this valuable resource,
the department recruited retired police officers to work in
schools, along with school resource officers, to carry the drug
prevention message to youths.
Essentially, police retirees are no different from those who
retire from the public sector. Some cherish their free time and
enjoy their retirement, while others are bored and miss the
day-to-day camaraderie of their fellow officers.
Under the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program, retired police officers
are certified as auxiliary officers, trained in the school
resource function, and assigned to local schools. The primary
mission of all G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops is to promote drug abuse
prevention in all city schools through education and counseling.
In Fort Myers, G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops deliver educational programs to
youths through standardized programs that have been developed
and approved by the police department. But, they still can be
called upon to assist school resource officers in other programs
like bicycle safety or child molestation prevention.
RECRUITING
Through contact with the community, the department
identified nearly 1,000 senior citizens with varying degrees of
law enforcement experience who lived within the Fort Myers area.
Some of these law enforcement retirees even organized as a civic
group so that they could hold monthly meetings to fraternize with
fellow officers and to reminisce on their law enforcement
careers.
Advertising for applicants for the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program
through the printed and electronic media was also used to
attract applicants. It also provided much-needed recognition to
the School Resource Officer Program.
OFFICER SELECTION CRITERIA
In order to qualify for the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program, all
applicants must:
* Have a minimum of 5 years' sworn law enforcement
experience
* Be at least 40 years of age at the date of hire
* Be in good physical condition as determined by the
departmental physician
* Meet the basic requirements for admittance into the
Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training
Commission Basic Recruit School for reserve and
auxiliary officers
* Have a Florida driver's license and a good driving record
* Submit letters of recommendation from three superior
officers from their former department who have knowledge
of their work performance and character
* Successfully pass a thorough background investigation,
which will include a polygraph
* Be screened by a police oral board which will be comprised
of Fort Myers Police supervisory personnel and school
resource officers representing various law enforcement
agencies throughout the county. (Final appointment will
be by the chief of police at the recommendations of the
public information officer who is the supervisor of the
School Resource Officer Program)
* Submit dual applications to the City of Fort Myers and
the Fort Myers Police Department
* Realize that they are not subject to civil service
protection
TRAINING
Because G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops are police retirees, most have a
minimum of 20 years of law enforcement experience. Thus, formal
training is not usually necessary. However, to ensure the
continuity and integrity of the program, accepted applicants
attend a 2-week training session at the police academy. There,
they become familiar with the school resource officer function,
policies of the school board, and current programs. Two days are
dedicated to drugs and the prevention of drug abuse, how to
recognize abusers, and steps to be taken to refer abusers to
treatment programs.
During the training, the duties, responsibilities, and
community role of the reserve officer are outlined, because
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops become certified as reserve officers at the end
of their training. This makes them eligible to participate in
ride-along programs and crowd control at parades and sporting
events. Also, administrative staff members and supervisors
lecture on departmental policies, rules, regulations, and general
and special orders.
After graduating from the academy, G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops
accompany experienced school resource officers for 1 week before
assuming their regular assignments.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS
Aside from the obvious benefit of having experienced and
qualified retirees interacting positively with the area's youth,
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops save the taxpayers money. In fact, the cost of
manning the School Resource Officer Program with G.R.A.M.P.A.
Cops instead of new, inexperienced police officers is half as
expensive. (See Table A.)
_________________________________________________________
Table A
COST COMPARISON
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Police Officer
Hourly $6.00 $ 9.06
X Benefits (35%) None 3.15
Total Cost $6.00 $12.21
_________________________________________________________
But, perhaps the greatest feature of the G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop
Program is its ``easy financing.'' Not only is this program the
most cost-effective means of providing children with drug abuse
prevention counseling, but it is also eligible for funding under
Florida Statute 932.704. Under the provisions of this statute,
any department that has an aggressive policy in terms of seizing
and selling contraband, vessels, motor vehicles, aircraft, and
other personal property can finance their G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop
Program with forfeited funds.
CONCLUSION
Without a doubt, the Fort Myers Police Department's
G.R.A.M.P.A. Cop Program has greatly benefited the community. It
has enabled experienced, seasoned officers to reenter the
profession and has decreased operating costs to the department.
It also allows the department to double the number of active
school resource officers within its current budget or to
significantly reduce the personnel costs of its respective SRO
program.
Police departments cannot afford to overlook or misuse
valuable resources that are readily available to them. By
employing retired law enforcement officers as auxiliary officers
in service functions, a department not only gains a wealth of
knowledge, ability, and expertise but also dedicated individuals
who can contribute to the safety and well-being of the community.