The Moore County Board of Commissioners approved funding for 14 additional school resource officer (SRO) positions Tuesday, bringing the total number of positions planned for the Moore County Sheriff’s Office to 27 as it prepares to take over school law enforcement services.
The board approved the positions for fiscal year 2027 along with a budget amendment to fund them. The additional positions carry a starting financial impact of about $680,000.
The Sheriff’s Office originally planned for 27 SRO positions as part of the transition. The commissioners previously approved 13 positions and expected it could take 12 to 18 months after the Jan. 1 takeover date to fully staff them.
Sheriff’s Office officials told commissioners Tuesday that recruitment has progressed faster than expected. About 22 candidates have reportedly committed to the positions, with five additional positions still in recruitment.
The department said it expects to be close to fully staffed by Jan. 1 and hopes to have all 27 positions filled by that date.
Some personnel will begin work before the transition to handle logistics, training, command structure, and additional certifications.
The Sheriff’s Office also said it has equipment ready for all 27 positions and will not need additional funding for equipment. The department worked within its existing budget to prepare for full staffing, leaving salaries and funding as the remaining request.
“We haven’t faced any of the obstacles that we anticipated,” Chief Deputy Eric Galloway told the commissioners. He added that the transition was going well.
The commissioners unanimously approved the 14 additional full-time deputy sheriff SRO positions and also unanimously approved the budget amendment funding them.
Photo courtesy Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
Want Moore news that matters? Please click here to sign up for the free Sandhills Sentinel e-newsletter.
Follow Sandhills Sentinel: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Newsletter
