Several Local Cities Not Yet Providing Officers To Miami-Dade Schools
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade County Public Schools began the new school year Monday with an officer on every campus, as required by a new state mandate following the massacre in Parkland.
The district was able to do this by coming to agreements with the county and more than 30 municipalities to provide officers to secure schools in their area.
But talks continue with those municipalities who have not yet signed agreements with the district to provide their own officers.
It's day two of school and Miami Springs, which has four public schools, is one of seven communities not yet on board.
"Money's not the issue for us right now. The issue is manpower," said Miami Springs Mayor Billy Bain.
Mayor Bain says the district approached the city back in April about providing officers at its two elementary schools, Springview Elementary and Miami Springs Elementary, but there's been no agreement reached.
"In my mind there's been a long time to communicate with these things and I think they waited till the end and we're in the predicament that it's on us," said Mayor Bain.
Mayor Bain says the city's short two officers right now and he needs the other 42 officers to keep the city's 14,000 residents safe. He thinks it's up to the school district to secure schools.
"I don't get involved in what they do in the curriculum and the thing that they teach. That's their prerogative of what they want to do. I don't think they should be getting into how we run our police department and what we have to do, especially when they're getting the allocation and the money from the state of Florida. We're not getting anything," said Mayor Bain.
The district says the cities who have not yet signed agreements are: Miami Springs, Homestead, Florida City, Cutler Bay, South Miami, Opa-locka and Miami Shores.
Miami Springs say in order to be able to provide an officer at its two elementary schools they would need to hire at least three more officers which would cost about $350,000.
"I want to clarify, we love children. I'd do anything for them and we do in the city. We just don't have the manpower to help them with their situation," said Mayor Bain.
Mayor Bain says he's scheduled to have a meeting with the district Wednesday where he plans to ask some questions and address his concerns about providing officers at the two schools.
