WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is planning to step in to help keep public school students safe and secure.
A sheriff's office spokeswoman confirms that PBSO will provide 20 deputies to cover 20 schools while the School District of Palm Beach County grapples with a shortage of police officers.
The names of those schools have not been released.
School Police Chief Patrick McCutcheon said the deputies will help cover and patrol school campuses until the district is able to hire and train additional officers.
"We have an active recruiting plan to add additional officers," McCutcheon said in a written statement to WPTV.
There are more than 170 public schools in the district. The remaining campuses will continue to be covered by school district police officers.
Officials said a contract between the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and School District of Palm Beach County still needs to be worked out.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Education
A WPTV Contact 5 investigative report in November found that school police officers are leaving district in large numbers.
44 officers left during the first eight months of 2021. Some retired and some joined other area law enforcement agencies.
Frank Kitzerow, the former Palm Beach County schools chief of police, said many school districts can't compete with the salaries and benefits offered by local municipalities or county sheriff's offices.
In order to attract more officers to the force, the School District of Palm Beach County approved a 3.5% raise for school police last year.
In the wake of the devastating mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018, all public school campuses in Florida are now required to be manned by at least one law enforcement officer.
If you're interested in becoming a police officer in the School District of Palm Beach County, click here to fill out an application.