Sheriff’s Office Secured $300,000 SRO Salaries Grant

Not only has the Perry County Sheriff’s Office been awarded a $300,000 grant to fully-fund five School Resource Officer positions for the 2023-24 academic year, but the funds have already been deposited, according to Sheriff Nick Weems.

The Sheriff’s Office applied for the funding earlier this summer, and anticipated approval, but at the July meeting of the Perry County Budget Committee in July, the okay had not yet been received when the committee—and later that same evening—the full Commission approved covering the SRO salaries out of the county fund balance with hopes that the grant would come through.

Perry County has one SRO each at Linden Elementary, Linden Middle, and PCHS. At Lobelville School, two SROs are because of the seventeen miles’ distance and longer response time from the Sheriff’s Office.

Following County Commission action at last month’s meeting when all law enforcement officers were given substantial raises at the Sheriff’s request (see the July 26 issue of the Review for full details), SROs now make $24 per hour.

Sheriff Weems explained to the Review that SROs are paid for ……………

…………………FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE READ 8/23/23 ISSUE OF THE REVIEW……………