Unfortunately, many law enforcement agencies are already strapped for bandwidth and budgets, and it’s not always possible to have a dedicated SRO for each campus. Resourcing additional security and traffic control at special events or after-school activities can become problematic.
This is where police off-duty (also called extra-duty or overtime) comes in to help connect a network of officers with ISDs. Officers can take extra voluntary jobs at area schools like they do with traffic control. Managing this undertaking, however, can be an additional strain on the ISDs and the ISD police departments. Juggling shifts, payments, and bringing in officers from a neighboring jurisdiction’s agency when local police departments can’t meet demand are all ongoing challenges for any school district.
Enlisting the help of software specific to off-duty jobs can alleviate these challenges, especially when the solution can be customized to each agency’s policy requirements - including ISD PD policies and local agency policies. These tools help streamline the administrative undertaking - from providing intake of 1099s or W2s and combining all officer invoices into one to more visibility into what shifts are staffed.
Off-duty technology also has perks for the officers working - like a mobile app to find and apply for jobs quickly and in-app communication and notes for other officers working the same event or weekly shift.
A software/technology company will also often provide insurance for officers working these shifts, so they have legal and medical support in case of an on-site, off-duty incident not covered by their department insurance policy.
Providing a broader presence of police at schools is becoming increasingly complex - but handling scheduling and payments doesn’t have to be with a provider that can help PDs and ISDs work cohesively.
