“Deputy Toley has been great and I wish our budget could pick him up, but he is not the only one being cut. We are cutting counselors as well,” Thorossian said.
Capt. Dave Silversparre had yet to receive the contract which confirmed the switch from two deputies to one, but was given permission to speak on the change by the district’s Hank Paz, director of student support services.
“JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) from Supervisor Michael Antonovich will continue to pay for a portion of a Rosemont Deputy and the balance will go to [support] the high school,” Silversparre said.
The Antonovich grant covers $25,000 of the $148,389 total cost per SRO. The district will be providing the balance.
Toley has been more than a sign of security at the school; he has worked alongside teacher Krista McMillin on several outreach programs including Internet safety and drug awareness.
“Deputy Toley has done a fantastic job with the school staff, students and the community,” Silversparre said. “He will remain at the station and be assigned to patrol duties.”
Toley said he was disappointed that the position was cancelled and was surprised that it happened so fast.
“I feel bad; I went to all the elementary schools and spoke to the sixth graders. I told them I would be there and now I feel like I lied to them,” he said.
Toley will utilize the connections he has made with the community and students as he returns to a patrol unit.
Rosemont is the only middle school in the Glendale district that had an SRO; all the high schools except for Clark Magnet will continue to have school resource officers. Glendale and Hoover high schools contract with the city of Glendale and uses Glendale Police to fill the SRO positions. The costs of the school police are covered by the city. Thorossian said there has been no discussion concerning the reduction of positions at Glendale or Hoover.
