REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police Police Department BY: MICHAEL REID, Deputy Chief Police Department, Support Division SUBJECT ..Title Approve an amendment to the current Student Resource Officer (SRO) contract with Central Unified School District (CUSD) to provide SROs at CUSD middle schools. ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends Council authorize and approve an amendment to the current SRO contract with CUSD to provide SROs at CUSD middle schools and authorize the Chief of Police, or designee, to sign the amendment and all related documents on behalf of the City of Fresno. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council approval is being sought to authorize the City of Fresno Chief of Police, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with CUSD allowing for the police department to obtain reimbursement for 2 officers assigned to district middle schools as SROs. The terms of the contract reimburse 95% of the officers. Assigned vehicles are reimbursed at 100%. BACKGROUND This amendment follows negotiations where, both CUSD and the City of Fresno have mutually agreed upon a contract amendment that will allow for the expansion of the current SRO program within CUSD. Currently, the department has 3 SROs assigned to the high schools. From May 2016 through April 2020, the police department had officers assigned to middle schools within the Central Unified School District. These officers were funded by CUSD and a federal grant. In 2020 the grant funding expired and combined with COVID shutting down schools, the decision was made not to renew the contract and those middle school officers were re-assigned within the department. As students have returned to in-person learning, CUSD desires to re-implement officers within their middle schools. The primary functions of these officers are two-fold: 1) provide for student and staff security at the school site and 2) to build trust and partnerships with the students, staff and their families. The current plan to return SROs to the middle schools is a layered approach based upon our ability to hire and fill officer vacancies. It is the desire of our department and CUSD to return officers to all the district's middle schools when department staffing, and district funding allows. The contract amendment represents the best interests of the City of Fresno along with the students and staff of middle schools being served. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this item is not a project for the purposes of CEQA. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference is not applicable because this is a contract amendment that was not the subject of competitive bidding. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the department as the Central Unified School District will be reimbursing the department for personnel and vehicles assigned to the middle school sites. Attachments: First Amendment to Agreement with Exhibit D