Resource Officers

[Anonymous]

Increase in violence, decrease in resource officers...Won't end well...

https://wtop.com/dc/2022/05/phasing-out-resource-officers-in-dc-schools-to-continue-as-planned/

[Anonymous]

Resource officers came from a nationwide push by police unions to find a place to stuff member officers who were unfit for street duty. They're not a good thing to have in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Resource officers came from a nationwide push by police unions to find a place to stuff member officers who were unfit for street duty. They're not a good thing to have in schools.

Talk to some teachers and administrators and you'll get a different picture. Hell, go to YouTube and type "class fights". The violence has been out of control since kids are back in school full time.

There should different qualifications for the officers vs regular street officers. But the presence is needed.

[Anonymous]

Our resource officer at the DCPS middle school where I taught knew every kid by ne and would come to teachers with concerns if they noticed something. Not sure why you think they aren't a "good fit"? Do you have personal experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Resource officers came from a nationwide push by police unions to find a place to stuff member officers who were unfit for street duty. They're not a good thing to have in schools.

This just isn't true. School resource officers are supported by and are a big part of the department of justice's school violence prevention programs.

[Anonymous]

I'm astonished by the Council's decision to pull SROs. Just does not make sense. There are potential safety issues any place with large groups of people. What are teachers and admin supposed to do when there's a massive fight or one kid pulls a knife on another? Wouldn't it be better to have an onsite SRO who knows the school and kids versus calling MPD to arrive 20 minutes later?

I get the concerns about police in schools. But lots of intermediate action that could have been taken -- better, trauma-informed training, SROs don't wear police uniforms or carry their weapons, etc.

Good thing is that this will not take effect until 2025 so we have three more budget cycles to reverse it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm astonished by the Council's decision to pull SROs. Just does not make sense. There are potential safety issues any place with large groups of people. What are teachers and admin supposed to do when there's a massive fight or one kid pulls a knife on another? Wouldn't it be better to have an onsite SRO who knows the school and kids versus calling MPD to arrive 20 minutes later?

I get the concerns about police in schools. But lots of intermediate action that could have been taken -- better, trauma-informed training, SROs don't wear police uniforms or carry their weapons, etc.

Good thing is that this will not take effect until 2025 so we have three more budget cycles to reverse it.

I'm writing to my council person. Common sense is not being used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm astonished by the Council's decision to pull SROs. Just does not make sense. There are potential safety issues any place with large groups of people. What are teachers and admin supposed to do when there's a massive fight or one kid pulls a knife on another? Wouldn't it be better to have an onsite SRO who knows the school and kids versus calling MPD to arrive 20 minutes later?

I get the concerns about police in schools. But lots of intermediate action that could have been taken -- better, trauma-informed training, SROs don't wear police uniforms or carry their weapons, etc.

Good thing is that this will not take effect until 2025 so we have three more budget cycles to reverse it.

I'm writing to my council person. Common sense is not being used.

Thank you. Please include getting rid of Grosso’s zero suspension bill too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm astonished by the Council's decision to pull SROs. Just does not make sense. There are potential safety issues any place with large groups of people. What are teachers and admin supposed to do when there's a massive fight or one kid pulls a knife on another? Wouldn't it be better to have an onsite SRO who knows the school and kids versus calling MPD to arrive 20 minutes later?

I get the concerns about police in schools. But lots of intermediate action that could have been taken -- better, trauma-informed training, SROs don't wear police uniforms or carry their weapons, etc.

Good thing is that this will not take effect until 2025 so we have three more budget cycles to reverse it.

I'm writing to my council person. Common sense is not being used.

Thank you. Please include getting rid of Grosso’s zero suspension bill too.

That's the way to get things done or at least attempt. Complaining here won't get it done for sure.

[Anonymous]

There are SROs now and have been for years. If they are the answer to controlling/addressing violence, why is it going up? Seems to me the money could be better spent on other types of interventions that address root causes of violence, like mental health support.

[Anonymous]

OR we could better train the resource officers so they are friendly, authoritative figures rather than scary, remote figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are SROs now and have been for years. If they are the answer to controlling/addressing violence, why is it going up? Seems to me the money could be better spent on other types of interventions that address root causes of violence, like mental health support.

Couldn't you also use this same criticism for any mitigation measure that doesn't completely eliminate the harm? Like vaccines, seat belts, smoking cessation, sun block, etc?

[Anonymous]

I'll take a Dean over an SRO. It could be the same person, but the focus is child development not law enforcement. You might be able to afford a counselor with the Dean for the same cost. Police are not cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are SROs now and have been for years. If they are the answer to controlling/addressing violence, why is it going up? Seems to me the money could be better spent on other types of interventions that address root causes of violence, like mental health support.

Couldn't you also use this same criticism for any mitigation measure that doesn't completely eliminate the harm? Like vaccines, seat belts, smoking cessation, sun block, etc?

Um...no? All of those things are proven to save lives. There is no evidence that SROs reduce crime or disruption in schools--and lots of evidence that they increase criminalization of behaviors that could be handled through other discipline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OR we could better train the resource officers so they are friendly, authoritative figures rather than scary, remote figures.

That's not what police departments select for.