LUMBERTON — The Robeson County Board of Commissioners took up two issues related to the safety of the county’s youngest and oldest residents on Monday, hearing requests for additional school resource officers and for a program to locate seniors who have wandered from home.

The Public Schools of Robeson County would apply for a state grant to add up to 13 officers that would provide one for each school located in the county. The state Department of Public Instruction, through the federal Sandy Hook Promise program, is offering $33,333 per officer if county government and the county’s municipalities chip in $16,000 for each school resource officer.

The commissioners, who were shorthanded because Chairman Jerry Stephens and Commissioner Roger Oxendine were absent, took the school’s proposal under advisement, but with a Friday deadline to apply for the grant, the request appears dead in the water.

Currently, PSRC’s 36 schools have 22 school resource officers. This month, the city of Lumberton agreed to fund two new officer positions, St. Pauls agreed to one position, while Fairmont rejected the request, and requests from Pembroke and Red Springs are pending.

County Manager Kellie Blue explained that the $16,000 match is only the beginning of the costs of adding school resource officers. With a vehicle, benefits and uniform, Blue estimated the cost at $98,000 per officer.

County schools without resource officers are Deep Branch, Union Chapel, East Robeson, Long Branch, Green Grove, Piney Grove, Oxendine and Union elementary schools. Schools sharing a resource officer are Parkton, Rex-Rennert, Fairmont Middle, Orrum, Littlefield, Magnolia, Prospect, Townsend and South Robeson middle schools.

“When students come to our schools, there is an expectation of safety,” said Rikki Bullard, school safety director. “Almost all of our elementary schools do not have a school resource officer. Our youngest children are the most vulnerable.”

The commissioners asked if the grant may pay for additional costs related to new officers. Schools Superintendent Shanita Wooten said it is possible, but she offered no amount of additional funding available.

Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Jimmy Hunt, with help from the nonprofit arm of Lillies of Hope Home Health, asked the commissioners to fund a $6,000 GPS location program for seniors with dementia who wander from their homes.

Besides the locator, wristbands worn by patients cost $320 each.

“Robeson County has had five silver alerts this year,” Hunt said. “This program is used by nearly every surrounding county and would enhance our Are You OK? program, which telephones vulnerable seniors every day.

“The program can find lost people up to six miles away. It is rare for a person with dementia to wander more than two to three miles from home.”

The commissioners, including Tom Taylor, who is active in search and rescue programs, responded favorably to the request.

“This is something Robeson County needs,” Taylor said. “If it saves one life, it will pay for itself.”

Commissioner David Edge said he is also in favor of the program, but would like to see more research. The commissioners took it under advisement.

In other action, the county unanimously approved a sand mine on 35 acres of a 325-acre tract in western Robeson County that is owned by Z.V. Pate Company of Laurel Hill. The mine would operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week and would supply sand for Piedmont Natural Gas, which is constructing a facility next to the mine.

There was no opposition to the sand mine, located about two miles from Oxendine Elementary School, off N.C. 71. The mine will be 10 feet deep, and when closed after five years will be planted with long leaf pine trees, said Clay Creed, of Z.V. Pate.

The commissioners also unanimously approved a $700 contribution to send 100 group home residents to the Kiwanis Pancake Festival, which is scheduled for on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 at the Bill Sapp Recreation Center.

At the commissioners first meeting in November, the county will take up the zoning variance for a planned Dollar General store in the Long Branch community. The county already has approved construction of the building, and Dollar General is asking for a variance for a larger sign and some adjustments to parking rules.

Some residents have opposed the store because they believe it may pose a safety hazard. It would be built across N.C. 72 from Long Branch Elementary School.

The variance will require a super majority vote of seven out of eight commissioners, County Attorney Gary Locklear said.

A proposed ordinance designed to prevent attacks on humans by vicious dogs may be taken up at the board’s second meeting in November.

Hunt
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Chaplain-Hunt.jpgHunt

Taylor
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Tom-Taylor.jpgTaylor

Public Schools of Robeson County Superintendent Shanita Wooten and school Safety Director Rikki Bullard appear Monday before the Robeson County Board of Commissioners to request matching dollars for a grant to fund the placement of more school resource officers in county schools.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_County-pix.jpgPublic Schools of Robeson County Superintendent Shanita Wooten and school Safety Director Rikki Bullard appear Monday before the Robeson County Board of Commissioners to request matching dollars for a grant to fund the placement of more school resource officers in county schools.
Will take request under advisement

Scott Bigelow

Staff writer

Reach Scott Bigelow at 910-644-4497 or [email protected].