Centreville Press reporter Mike Hobson met with Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade and Bibb County Commission Chairman Matt Downs on June 13 to discuss emerging plans to provide school resource officers through the Bibb County S.O. for the 2022-24 school year.
The full interview is available at this link or by scanning the QR code below.
Sheriff Wade disclosed that he has been discussing a plan with Superintendent Duane McGee of the Bibb County Board of Education since last Fall to add sheriff’s office deputies who would be certified deputies and assigned to the school system under his supervision. For the coming school year at least 2 new deputies would be hired and trained for the position.
Commissioner Downs confirmed that the details of a contract between the Board of Education and the County Commission have been in the works for months and the terms of the contract have not been fully finalized; however, the fundamentals have been agreed upon in principle, but not voted upon by the commission yet. The funding for two officers will come from the Board of Education funds. The employees will be added to the Sheriff’s roster, after training and certification the SRO’s will be Sheriff Deputy employees. While assigned to the school system as their primary duty station they will remain under the command and control of the Sheriff.
The goal is to have all of the details in place and officers on board by the time school starts for the 2022-23 school year.
