MOAB, Utah — The Moab City Police Department announced Tuesday that it's participation in the School Resource Officer program in the Grand County School District would be ending on November 20.
The department cited low staff, funding issues and increased call volumes as reasons why the program would be cut short.
Detective Ryan Burraston has been the SRO for a couple of years and has helped bridge gaps between schools, families and law enforcement.
Burraston will be assigned to the investigations unit as a full-time detective at the end of November.
In a Facebook Post, Police Chief Bret Edge said, "I firmly believe the schools are safer with an officer on campus. However, with only one full-time detective, and an ever increasing caseload, the demands placed on our investigations unit exceed our current capacity."
The Moab City Police Department currently employs 21 people, including 15 officers and six civil employees, according to their website.
The department believes that with the additional help of a full-time detective, they will be able to better manage complex investigations.
The School District and Police Department are working together to hopefully reinstate the program for the 2021-2022 school year, but have not released specific details yet.
