Defunding / abolishing school police (consolidated thread)

State Leads Nation in Calling Police on Native Students

The 2017-18 school year was difficult at Lakeland Union High School. Disciplinary problems came in waves for the Oneida County school — in February 2018, two students were arrested for making terror threats — just days after the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. “That was a rough year,” said Array, the school principal. Lakeland referred over 6% of its students to police, including the two teenagers, whose separate threats shut down the school for a day. Lakeland wasn’t the only Wisconsin district which saw a high level of police involvement that school year. Public schools in ...

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https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/09/30/state-leads-nation-in-calling-police-on-native-students/

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American Rescue Plan Could Help Ohio Schools End Retributive Justice

Ohio has received more than $4 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to go toward education, and a recent report from The Sentencing Project spotlights how the state can use those funds to prevent what it calls the school-to-prison pipeline. More than 60% of schools in the U.S. have a school resource officer, despite evidence their presence increases the number of students arrested at school and exacerbates racial disparities within the building. In Ohio, the Young Activists Coalition is working to have school resource officers removed from Cincinnati Public Schools. Bella Gordo, president of the Coalition, said she would like ...

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https://www.clevescene.com/scene-an...uld-help-ohio-schools-end-retributive-justice

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[google]American Rescue Plan Could Help Ohio Schools End Retributive Justice[/google]



Report: American Rescue Plan Funds Could Help Ohio Schools End 'School-to-Prison Pipeline'

Ohio has received more than $4 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to go toward education, and a recent report from The Sentencing Project spotlights how the state can use those funds to prevent what it calls the school-to-prison pipeline .More than 60% of schools in the U.S. have a school resource officer, despite evidence their presence increases the number of students arrested at school and exacerbates racial disparities within the building. In Ohio, the Young Activists Coalition is working to have school resource officers removed from Cincinnati Public Schools. Bella Gordo, president of the Coalition, said she would like ...

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https://www.citybeat.com/news/news/...help-ohio-schools-end-schooltoprison-pipeline

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[google]Report: American Rescue Plan Funds Could Help Ohio Schools End 'School-to-Prison Pipeline'[/google]

 

Leon Sheriff Walt McNeil responds to guns on campus with 'indefinite, increased patrol'

In response to a surge in arrests of students who allegedly brought guns to school, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil "directed indefinite, increased patrol in and around local schools." According to a Friday morning announcement by LCSO, a "full law enforcement response" to the district's gun problem will soon be assembled and put into place, though, the details of the effort remain unclear. McNeil told the Democrat he and his team have drafted a long list of recommendations that will be presented to Leon County Schools' Chief of Security John Hunkiar Monday. For now, students, parents and teachers can expect ...

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https://www.tallahassee.com/story/n...ssee-leon-county-students-firearm/5948733001/

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[google]Leon Sheriff Walt McNeil responds to guns on campus with 'indefinite, increased patrol'[/google]

 

Do police belong in America's schools?

What’s happening" An 18-year-old woman in Long Beach, Calif., who was shot in the head by a school safety officer earlier this week, was taken off life support on Friday, according to a family attorney. Mona Rodriguez, the mother of a 5-month-old child, was allegedly involved in an altercation near a local high school on Monday that prompted the officer to intervene. As Rodriguez and two others attempted to leave the scene, the officer fired at least two shots into the back of the car they were riding in, video of the incident shows. Rodriguez’s shooting has brought national attention ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/do-police-belong-in-americas-schools-210504952.html

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[google]Do police belong in America's schools?[/google]

 

State-by-State Breakdown of How Often Schools Call the Cops

The Center for Public Integrity has produced a lot of work about the issue of police in schools. This latest effort adds a new perspective. While focused on the misdeeds of cops in classroom settings, it also shines a light on those schools, districts and states that call in the police a disproportionate number of times. This chart shows state rankings by the number of times students were referred to law enforcement. Nationally, the average is 4.5 students for every 1,000. But some states go way beyond that, and political leanings do not seem to be a factor. School officials ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/state-state-breakdown-often-schools-163000634.html

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[google]State-by-State Breakdown of How Often Schools Call the Cops[/google]

 

Cameron says SROs provide ‘safety’ for Kentucky students and teachers

As the debate over school resource officers continues in Jefferson County, Kentucky’s Attorney General announced his support for officers in public schools. “I support the idea of having SROs in our schools,” Daniel Cameron said Wednesday. Cameron was in Frankfort for a pro-life news conference but answered questions about SROs and what he believes they provide students and teachers. “Safety,” Cameron said. “You’re no stranger to the fact that we had a kid waiting at the bus stop whose life was ended and an SRO in that particular instance wouldn’t have been there. But we’ve got a serious challenge in ...

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https://www.wave3.com/2021/10/06/cameron-says-sros-provide-safety-kentucky-students-teachers/

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[google]Cameron says SROs provide ‘safety’ for Kentucky students and teachers[/google]



Cameron says SROs provide ‘safety’ for Kentucky students and teachers

I support the idea of having SROs in our schools,” Daniel Cameron said Wednesday. Cameron was in Frankfort for a pro-life news conference but answered questions about SROs and what he believes they ...

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https://www.wave3.com/2021/10/06/ca...y-kentucky-students-teachers/?outputType=apps

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[google]Cameron says SROs provide ‘safety’ for Kentucky students and teachers[/google]

 

Hybrid SRO program on its way: PVUSD chief says cop-clinician pairing to be in place by Nov. 1

In an attempt to reconcile safety concerns in the wake of the Array, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District voted in mid-September to bring back law enforcement presence to Aptos and Watsonville high schools, embarking on a pilot program pairing school resource officers (SROs) with mental health clinicians. Now, with hiring drawing to a close, the program will soon come to fruition: District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez anticipates the SRO-mental health clinician pairs will be on campuses by Nov. 1. “Their goal together is to encounter issues and support issues from a restorative practices standpoint, and so, they’re coming in and ...

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https://lookout.co/santacruz/educat...t-sro-police-program-police-sheriff-clinician

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[google]Hybrid SRO program on its way: PVUSD chief says cop-clinician pairing to be in place by Nov. 1[/google]

 

Some Colorado school districts adjust to the absence of police in the halls

Police in Boulder and Denver are being removed from schools, but not in Jefferson County, which includes Columbine High School. The conversation surrounding police officers, also known as school resource officers, in Colorado schools is heated, and doesn’t seem likely to be resolved soon. Some critics point to how Black students are more likely to be referred to law enforcement than white students are. Some advocates of police in schools say officers are a great resource and in addition to providing safety can be advocates and mentors for students. Boulder Valley Public Schools and Denver Public Schools recently removed or ...

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https://coloradonewsline.com/2021/10/07/colorado-school-districts-absence-police/

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[google]Some Colorado school districts adjust to the absence of police in the halls[/google]

 

Some IPS police see themselves as educators; students and teachers do not

Many officers who patrol Indianapolis Public Schools see themselves as educators and informal counselors, in addition to law enforcement officers. Most students, staff, and parents, however, see them strictly as police. That divergence in perception is among the findings of an independent review of the district’s security force by Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute. The report, presented to the school board Sept. 21, noted other disparities in outlook: While 88% of the district police officers said they collaborate effectively with school personnel, just 61% of staff agreed. The report includes recommendations on oversight, training, accountability, and more. “I think it’s ...

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https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/...ves-as-educators-students-and-teachers-do-not

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[google]Some IPS police see themselves as educators; students and teachers do not[/google]

 

Youngkin calls for police in all Virginia schools, tapping into heated school issues to close his campaign

As many Virginia localities examine the role of police in schools, Republican Glenn Youngkin is calling on every school in the state to have a law enforcement officer on its campus, or face losing state education funding. Youngkin, who is in a close contest with Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor, is tapping into contentious education issues in an effort to turn parent frustration into a victory in the Nov. 2 election. “For months, we’ve seen chaos seep into our schools,” Youngkin said Tuesday during a rally in the Fairfax County community of Burke, flanked by young children and a crowd ...

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https://richmond.com/news/state-and...cle_55263156-f840-5624-b574-3dae37b8628d.html

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[google]Youngkin calls for police in all Virginia schools, tapping into heated school issues to close his campaign[/google]

 

BVSD school board hears update on hiring safety advocates, phasing out SROs

Boulder Valley has hired 10 school safety advocates as the school district creates more equitable discipline practices while phasing out its school resource officer program. The school board heard an update Tuesday on the district's equitable discipline work. Along with voting in November to end the SRO program, the school board directed district officials to develop new options to ensure safety and improve discipline practices. The board agreed to make the change based on concerns that students of color are more likely to be ticketed, arrested, suspended or expelled. The district's target date to end the SRO program is January. ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/bvsd-school-board-hears-hiring-140900438.html

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[google]BVSD school board hears update on hiring safety advocates, phasing out SROs[/google]

 

City School Board To Vote On SRO Policy

After a monthslong look into Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ use of school resource officers, the School Board plans to make a decision based on recommendations from a task force at a meeting Thursday. The meeting is at 7 p.m. and will be held in City Council Chambers. Normally, the School Board meets on the first Tuesday of the month, but the meeting was rescheduled because today is Election Day. The SRO decision comes after months of meetings, town halls, presentations by the Harrisonburg Police Department, electronic feedback from parents and community members, and more. The current memorandum of understanding with ...

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https://www.dnronline.com/news/harr...cle_12f770f9-c35a-548b-9ec0-95eacb58e9b7.html

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[google]City School Board To Vote On SRO Policy[/google]

 

Los Angeles School District Divert from Discipline

At 8 a.m. outside Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High School in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, students line up with individualized QR codes confirming them as COVID-free before the first bell. They arrive in school busses, on foot and on skateboard. They amble north toward campus from Obama Boulevard and south from the Expo line station on Farmdale Avenue. Then, one by one, they do what Los Angeles School Police officers now cannot: They go inside their school. Following the George Floyd uprisings, the Los Angeles Unified School District cut its police budget by $25 million in the summer ...

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https://www.laprogressive.com/los-angeles-school-district/

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[google]Los Angeles School District Divert from Discipline[/google]

 

School Safety Officer Charged with Murder Wasn’t a Cop. Does That Matter?

The arrest of a former school safety officer on a murder charge in California has added a new dimension to the debate over school-based policing a year after George Floyd’s death prompted some districts to pull cops from campuses. This time, the conversation has centered on an armed Long Beach Unified School District safety officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed 18-year-old girl as she fled in a car from the high school where he worked. The safety officer was once a police officer, but at the time of the shooting, he was working directly for the school district handling ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/school-safety-officer-charged-murder-221039191.html

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[google]School Safety Officer Charged with Murder Wasn’t a Cop. Does That Matter?[/google]

 

Police resource officer to return to Watervliet schools

After a six-year absence, a school resource officer will return to the Watervliet school district after a new agreement between the Board of Education and Watervliet City Council. The program, to start Dec. 1, brings in a trained law enforcement officer to interact with students to improve safety and build relationships between students and law enforcement. “A relationship between the police department and the school district is one of the most powerful ways to build a strong community,” said Watervliet Chief Joseph L. Centanni. “We will ensure a safe learning environment for students while strengthening our partnership with teachers, parents ...

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https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Superintendent-and-police-department-announce-16635658.php

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[google]Police resource officer to return to Watervliet schools[/google]

 

Fights prompt questions regarding Madison School District decision to remove SROs

This fall, for the first time in decades, Madison’s four main high schools began the school year with no police officers stationed inside the schools. When fights and other disturbances broke out, as they do every year, many saw evidence that the School Board’s June 2020 decision to dispense with the officers, known as school resource officers, was partly to blame. Bonnie Roe, a parent of two daughters at Memorial High School, is among them. Roe, who opposed removing the SROs, said altercations between students appear to occur on a near daily basis now. “I’m afraid someone is going to ...

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https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/...cle_7dbbfe8d-6de8-5422-891c-bc399c8be046.html

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[google]Fights prompt questions regarding Madison School District decision to remove SROs[/google]

 

Police reform has Boston school officers wary of breaking up fights: memo

City school officers feeling toothless after police reform robbed them of enforcement powers are wary about breaking up fights, a memo obtained by the Herald alleges. In the days following the brutal beating of the Henderson School principal last month, administrators fretted about a “communication” from the officers union advising members “not to break up fights.” That’s according to an email sent to Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on Nov. 7. The Herald obtained that message as part of a public records request on messages around the time of the assault. The principal was punched in the head by a student Nov. ...

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https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/1...ool-officers-wary-of-breaking-up-fights-memo/

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[google]Police reform has Boston school officers wary of breaking up fights: memo[/google]

 

Ames' school resource officer program will end next fall. What happens when SROs charge students?

Earlier this year, a 12-year-old girl was upset in the Ames Middle School principal's office. Staff asked the school resource officer and another principal "to assist due to her aggression," according to an incident summary from the Ames Police Department. After allegedly kicking and biting the principals, the student was handcuffed by the officer, whom she also allegedly bit. Then, police put the girl in a patrol car and took her to the police department. The incident is one example of how, when Ames police are involved in student behavior issues — more often than not at the direction of ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/ames-school-officer-program-end-120026349.html

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Ames' school resource officer program will end next fall. What happens when SROs charge students?

Since the fall of 2018, there have been 61 incidents in which Ames students have been criminally charged at school.

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https://www.amestrib.com/story/news...rce-officers-charge-ames-students/6497024001/

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[google]Ames' school resource officer program will end next fall. What happens when SROs charge students?[/google]

 

In Focus: As community members remain split on SROs in Niles Township high schools, the district fails to act

When Jasmine Sebaggala’s 15-year-old daughter went to get a drink during her lunch period at Niles West High School in November 2021, she was stopped by two school security officers. Before studying with a teacher during her break, Sebaggala’s daughter tried to enter the cafeteria. To get in, she had to show identification, Sebaggala said. She had used a photo of her ID before with no issue, but this time, the officers threatened to report her to the dean for not showing a physical form of identification. During the interaction, Sebaggala said her daughter was respectful to the officers and ...

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https://dailynorthwestern.com/2022/...nship-high-schools-the-district-fails-to-act/

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[google]In Focus: As community members remain split on SROs in Niles Township high schools, the district fails to act[/google]

 

Cedar Rapids schools see 70% drop in student arrests since changes to school resource officer program

Fewer students are being criminally charged and more continue to be diverted from arrest in the Cedar Rapids Community School District after changes were made last year to its school resource officer program. But even with a more than 70 percent reduction in student arrests, more Black students are being arrested than white students. “The big challenge this school year was how can we do things differently?” Washington High School Principal Darius Ballard said during a school board meeting Monday evening. “Last year was the first time we looked at the data and asked ourselves what we can do to ...

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https://www.thegazette.com/k/cedar-...ce-changes-to-school-resource-officer-progra/

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[google]Cedar Rapids schools see 70% drop in student arrests since changes to school resource officer program[/google]