Arizona education department to keep working with company that puts police officers in schools

PHOENIX — As part of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s goal to keep students and educators safe, he extended a partnership with a law enforcement support organization on Thursday.

Off Duty Management, a company aimed at supporting law enforcement initiatives, will have its association with the Arizona Department of Education extended to 2026.

The company first joined with the state education department in 2023 and will continue to provide armed and uniformed school safety officers in schools throughout six counties.

“The safety of school campuses is a priority for my administration. If some armed maniac should try to invade a school, the most effective response is to have well-trained armed law enforcement officers to protect everyone on campus,” Horne said in a press release.

“Our partnership with Off Duty Management is a vital part of ensuring safety. It is proving to be a successful, effective public-private partnership and the first of its kind in the nation.”

Starting in 2016, Off Duty Management began with the goal to provide technology and liability protection alongside administrative support for officer’s working off-duty jobs. Founded by former law enforcement officers, the company now works with local law enforcement agencies and school districts to fill vacant school safety officer positions.

“This agreement with Off Duty Management is a complement to the School Resource Officer program and illustrates how police officers who work as school safety officers also are trusted role models for students, which brings a sense of safety to the school campus,” Arizona Department of Education’s Director of School Safety Mike Kurtenbach said.

The organization uses a software and mobile app for over 700 eligible officers to use for scheduling an off-duty job as a school safety officer in participating Arizona school districts.

“With this innovation, an officer can be provided to a school even if the community where that school is located has a shortage of its own officers,” Kurtenbach said. “Cross-jurisdictional sharing of resources makes perfect sense to use this strategy to protect children and others in schools.

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