Changes Coming To SRO Position At Central Bucks West High School

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Changes are coming to the Student Resource Officer (SRO) position at Central Bucks West High School in Doylestown.

The district announced on Tuesday that the school's current SRO - Bucks County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Landis - will be resigning at the end of June when the district's current two-year contract with the county expires.

According to a letter posted on the district's website by Superintendent Steven Yanni, the SRO position at West will be transitioning from the Bucks County Sheriff's Department to the Central Bucks Regional Police Department pending the approval of an agreement between the police department and the school district.

Under the SRO program, the local police department typically partners with the school district by providing an officer while the school district picks up the salary and healthcare costs.

Two years ago, however, staffing constraints forced the Central Bucks Regional Police Department to decide not to participate in the SRO program at West. The district instead reached an agreement with the Bucks County Sheriff's Department to fill the position. The county approved a two-year agreement with the county providing a deputy and the district picking up the deputy's salary and benefits.

With the contract set to expire in June 2025, Chief Karl Knott of the Central Bucks Regional Police Department reached out to the Bucks County Commissioners in December "to respectfully request consideration for assigning the SRO position to a sworn ACT 120 Central Bucks Regional Police Officer beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

"The advantages of deploying an ACT 120 certified officer above a Deputy Sheriff Officer are evident," wrote Chief Knott. "The Sheriff's Deputy has limited law enforcement power and limited investigative experience/expertise in criminal activity ... Placement of a Central Bucks Regional Police Officer will return the control, command, and authority of its jurisdiction back to the department."

The chief added, "We are willing to collaborate with the Central Bucks School Board and administration on a plan and contract negotiations."

In response to Chief Knott's letter, the Bucks County Commissioners in January voted to terminate its contract with the district after June 30.

According to Yanni, the district has engaged with the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, which covers Doylestown Borough, Chalfont Borough, and New Britain Borough, to bring an SRO officer on board by July 1.

Yanni said the district worked to include language in its agreement with Central Bucks Regional that would allow Landis to continue in the SRO role if hired by CB Regional, "which expressed interest in hiring him," said Yanni. "Deputy Landis decided to decline the offer from CB Regional. We thank Deputy Landis for his service to CB West and the district and appreciate his continued service through the end of June."

Bucks County Sheriff Responds

The impending departure of Deputy Landis sparked a petition drive by parents, students and residents to keep Landis on staff. More than 800 had signed the online petition as of Tuesday.

It also sparked a strong social media response from Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran who stepped in two years ago to offer one of his deputies to fill the position. He has asked the Bucks County Commissioners to reconsider its decision not to renew the contract.

"It had come to my attention that Commissioners Bob Harvie and Diane Marseglia announced their intention to terminate the SRO agreement with the Central Bucks School District. I was not consulted by either Commissioner Harvie or Commissioner Marseglia before their plan to cancel the SRO program," said Harran.

"I do not agree with their decision. I do not support their decision. They unilaterally made this decision without input from me or my Deputy," he wrote on Facebook.

"The Public School Code requires the approval of the county in order for my office to continue to assign Deputy Landis as an SRO. Commissioner DiGirolamo has reached out to me to offer his continued support of the SRO Program, not only at CB West, but at other schools that may request an SRO as well."

He added, "My Deputies and I remain committed to providing a School Resource Officer to the students, faculty, administration, and families of the Central Bucks School District. I ask Commissioners Harvie and Marseglia to please reconsider their decision, for the safety and well-being of the youth of Bucks County and the communities in which they reside."

District Committed To Staffing SRO Position

Yanni said the district "remains committed to staffing an SRO at West as an important layer of safety and security. We are moving forward in this process with CB Regional and expect an SRO agreement to be approved this spring," he said.

According to Yanni, once an agreement is in place, the district will participate in the interview process to select the next SRO for CB West.

"CB West will have an SRO for the 2025-26 school year and beyond, just as CB East and CB South do," he said.