School Board shifts security head

The School Board of Sarasota County yesterday voted to change the job description of the school district’s head of safety and security, shifting drastically responsibilities away from law enforcement and towards emergency management.

The position will no longer bear the title “Sarasota County schools chief of police”, and will yield oversight of school resource officers and criminal investigations to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department. Further, requirement of three years law enforcement experience and certification from the Florida Police Training Commission were axed from the job description.

School Board members, with Chair Caroline Zucker absent, voted unanimously to give the director of safety and security direct oversight of school emergency management operations. Further, they will now serve as the key figure linking public safety communications networks and Sarasota County emergency management agencies.

Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane has stressed the importance of coordination with schools, which serve as shelters during the threat of large storm surges, during disaster preparation and relief.