Officer Shortage Forces Pause Of SRO Program In Gresham Schools

GRESHAM, Ore. – The School Resource Officer program is being temporarily paused in the Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, and Reynolds school districts.

Gresham Police says it needs the officers on the street.

Right now, the department is working to fill 19 open positions.

When those positions are filled, the program will resume.

“While this was a very difficult decision because we understand the value of our school resource officers to the community, it is what’s necessary at this time to increase our ability to respond to emergencies,” said Police Chief Travis Gullberg. “Knowing it takes upwards of 18 months to onboard a new officer, we need to be realistic about our ability to fulfill our contracts with our school partners. Recruiting and retaining officers is a top priority, and we hope to announce the return of the SRO program as soon as staffing allows.”

Gresham has used five-million dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide hiring bonuses, training, and non-sworn staff to help cover the shortage of officers.