Countywide renewal levy sought to fund police operations related to drug interdiction, support school resource officers

Medina County voters can expect a proposed renewal levy on the Nov. 4 ballot, which would help fund the Medina County Drug Advisory Committee's efforts. The ballot language states that the levy funds are for police operations that focus on drug interdiction, as well as for the payment of other related costs, such as school resource officers. The 0.35-mill, five-year levy would collect $1,847,100 annually, which amounts to $8 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. A portion of the levy's funds goes toward the Medina County Drug Task Force, which has been in operation since 1987. "We're the sole provider for drug investigations for Medina County," Medina County Drug Task Force Director Darren Stout said. "We serve each of the law enforcement agencies in the county in that capacity to offer specialized skills, techniques and equipment for investigating drug crimes." The proposed levy funds approximately 85 percent of the Medina County Drug Task Force's annual operating budget, Stout said. The Medina County Drug Task Force is the only law enforcement agency within Medina County that is 100 percent grant-funded, Stout said. Besides the levy dollars, the task force receives some state and federal funding through grants. Once the Medina County Drug Task Force is funded, Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice said the remaining funds will then go toward the school resource officers. "The SROs are not 100 percent funded through the levy," Grice said. "They are subsidized through the local government, whether it's the county or cities, (who) still pick up the remaining salary costs." Grice said the school resource officers funded through the levy are from several agencies throughout Medina County, including: The Brunswick Division of Police has two school resource officers. The Brunswick Hills Police Department has a school resource officer. The Medina Police Department has three school resource officers. The Medina County Sheriff's Office has four school resource officers, who are located at Buckeye Schools, Cloverleaf Schools, Highland Schools and the Medina County Career Center. The Montville Township Police Department has a school resource officer. The Wadsworth Police Department has two school resource officers. Not only do the school resource officers bring a security component to the districts, but Grice said they also build positive relationships with students, starting as early as elementary school, going through high school. Grice said former students often come back and will remember their school resource officer, showing the positive relationship the officer had with the students. "The funding supplements what the other communities or counties are paying for the school resource officers," Grice said. "Then, it provides that opportunity for our SROs to build those positive relationships, to be a deterrent,…and then just generate positive connectivity." Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.