MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is looking to take on a new role due to the school merger. Deputies may provide school security for the Unified School District if the Shelby County Commission gives the green light and greenbacks.
The Memphis-Shelby County school merger will create a security vacuum in city schools. Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham wants $2 million so his force can fill the void.
“That's why we're here today, to seek approval of that funding so we can hire replacement personnel who could go into the slots of the people we select to serve as school resource officers in the former city school system,” Oldham said.
The MPD resource officers will be out of the picture next fall. If Oldham’s $2 million request is approved, he'll hire 35 deputies. Chism says he could care less about the price tag.
“I'm not concerned about how cheap they'll get it done. What I'm concerned is that they provide the kind of service necessary for those kids' safety in the school system,” Chism said.
The funding, which passed unanimously in committee on Wednesday, will go before the commission for a full vote on Monday, December 3. It will take nearly six months to train new deputies once they're hired.
