ADE Partners with
Off Duty Management
Scroll to learn more about how we’re partnering with the Arizona Department of Education to protect schools with uniformed off-duty School Safety Officers (SSO).
Our Partnership
In late September, Off Duty Management signed a contract with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to assist with facilitating their School Safety Program. The Program funds over 300 schools to hire full-time school resource officers (SROs). A shortage of law enforcement officers across the state forced many school districts to cut back on the number of SROs in schools, but this new partnership with Off Duty Management will make it possible for these positions to be filled.
“We are excited to launch this innovative approach, the first of its kind in the country, and assist in the allocation of law enforcement officers on school campuses,” said Sherry Rowley, Founder and CEO of Off Duty Management.
Off Duty Management supports law enforcement agencies by providing the best technology, insurance, and administrative resources to assist officers in finding and working off-duty assignments. Arizona schools without a dedicated SRO will use the school safety officer (SSO) model. When schools request an SSO, police officers are notified of the request through the OfficerTRAK® mobile app. With the app, an officer can select, cancel, or trade jobs, clock in and out of shifts, share notes, and more. Off Duty Management pays officers the following week for their off-duty work and protects officers, agencies, and ADE with industry-leading liability coverage.
Brian Manley, President of Off Duty Management and retired Chief of Austin, TX PD, stated, “As a career law enforcement officer, I am grateful that Off Duty Management is able to fulfill our mission to protect Arizona’s law enforcement community as they perform the critical job of protecting their children and school systems.”
Off Duty Management contracts with several Arizona law enforcement agencies, including Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, and Tucson. More than 33 school districts have opted to participate in the program. The contract runs through August 31, 2024.
Arizona Department of Education Press Release
Supt. Tom Horne: Creative solution means school safety program can place officers on campuses despite pervasive officer shortage
FAQs
How does the Off Duty Management program schedule off-duty officers to serve as School Safety Officers?
Through our OfficerTRAK® scheduling platform, vacant School Safety Officer (SSO) shifts are circulated to all qualified and available officers as identified by their local law enforcement entity. Officers use the OfficerTRAK® app to review shift details, accept shifts, clock in and out, communicate with the program coordinator, and many other functions.
How does the program address the challenges of cross-jurisdictional sharing among law enforcement agencies?
Off Duty Management can easily assign officers from multiple agencies to fill School Safety Officer (SSO) shifts. If the primary law enforcement agency within a school district is unable to provide an officer for an SSO shift, other agencies that partner with the primary agency (back-up agencies) are also available to fill those shifts. If the back-up agency is not contracted with Off Duty Management, the back-up officers will be covered under the Master Service Agreement in place with the primary agency. All protections provided to the primary agency’s officers also extend to the back-up agency’s officers.
Can private schools participate in the program?
Private schools awarded funding through the Arizona Department of Education can access our program in the same manner as public schools.
How do individual officers sign up to work these off-duty jobs?
First, an officer must be approved to work in the School Safety Officer (SSO) program by the appropriate law enforcement agency within the jurisdiction. Once approved, the officer will use our industry-leading mobile app, OfficerTRAK®, to access and sign up for available shifts. Only approved officers will be able to work School Safety Officer (SSO) shifts.
Do officers need to meet specific criteria or qualifications to participate in this program?
Yes, the Arizona Department of Education has a designated curriculum officers must successfully complete to be eligible for School Safety Officer (SSO) shifts. Additionally, each officer’s primary agency must approve participation in the program. Off Duty Management does not establish the qualifications or criteria of the program. We implement and adhere to the rules established by the Arizona Department of Education and local participating agencies.
Press Release Articles
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New program will place armed, uniformed off-duty police officers on campuses with SROs
Arizona school safety discussions continue as SRO gaps have yet to be filled
Horne gives more details on plan to bring off-duty police officers into Arizona schools
Arizona Department Of Education Unveils New School Safety Program Using Off…
New Initiative to Address School Safety Officer Shortage in Our Local Arizona Schools
Arizona Dept. of Education’s new program plans to add more police in schools despite…
Horne program brings in off-duty officers to schools in 11 counties
As Arizona schools struggle to find school resource officers, state rolls out short-term…
Arizona schools will fill vacant school resource officer positions with off-duty cops
Arizona Supt. Tom Horne unveils plan to address school resource officer shortage
Adding officers to schools: The AZ Dept. of Education has a new plan to get more police…
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