I’m a teacher and I don’t want schools to get rid of the school resource officer

[Anonymous]

In some areas, schools are discussing the idea of getting rid of their school resources officers (school based cops) I teach at a pretty rough school and have had to call for security a few times in response to fights breaking out between my students. Who would handle these situations if they get rid of the SRO’s? Do they really expect teachers to get in the middle of fights between 16-18 year old males, some of whom are quite large. I also am afraid that their will be more incidents of fighting if there was no longer any security. I haven’t heard that my district is considering this, but I’m worried that this might actually become an idea that spreads.

[Anonymous]

Your SRO is present on school grounds the entire time the school is open? We share ours with a couple of schools so he stops by each day but doesn’t hang out long.

[Anonymous]

Aaaaand this is why my kids go to private school.

Why don’t you work to find solutions that aren’t cops.

[Anonymous]

Schools will still have security. SROs are only needed if you are arresting students on a regular basis. If that’s happening, your school is not meeting the needs to students and probably needs to be completely restructured. I also taught in a tough HS. Our security built relationships with students and the students would warn them when there was something big going down. We only needed our SRO when a man entered the school off the street looking for his wife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In some areas, schools are discussing the idea of getting rid of their school resources officers (school based cops) I teach at a pretty rough school and have had to call for security a few times in response to fights breaking out between my students. Who would handle these situations if they get rid of the SRO’s? Do they really expect teachers to get in the middle of fights between 16-18 year old males, some of whom are quite large. I also am afraid that their will be more incidents of fighting if there was no longer any security. I haven’t heard that my district is considering this, but I’m worried that this might actually become an idea that spreads.

I've worked at schools where security are school district employees, and where they are SRO's. I prefer the former, so my preference would be to have schools hire and train their own employees, and develop their expertise in the age group, and make them part of the school culture.

I agree that there continues to need to be security in the building. I just don't agree that police are the people to provide that security.

[Anonymous]

The idea would not be for the teacher to step in where the SRO used to be. The idea is to bring a variety of other professional resources to bear, mostly to prevent the problems in the first place but also to resolve problems in a non-violent or less violent manner. It's not out of reach -- how many of us grew up with cops in our schools? Not me, and yet there were few fights. Many believe the attitude that these kids are dangerous criminals who will fight if a cop is not present, is part of why the school environment has changed since we were young.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,

There were no cops in school when I grew up in Bowie.

I live in Florida now. I believe in cops in the schools after the plethora of school shootings.

In regards to the prior poster, kids had real discipline when there were no cops in the schools. Kids had real discipline from their parents and kids had real discipline from the school. Thus we had no fights.

Incorporate meaningful discipline which is what existed in previous decades and yes you probably won't need a cop at each school. The current school does not allow for discipline so you get wildings in the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaand this is why my kids go to private school.

Why don’t you work to find solutions that aren’t cops.

Private schools have security too.

[Anonymous]

I like the idea of having an armed police officer at schools.

[Anonymous]

Also, they are trained emergency responders and carry radios. When seconds count, you'll want your SRO to call 911.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaand this is why my kids go to private school.

Why don’t you work to find solutions that aren’t cops.

Private schools have security too.

Yeah and they don’t school-to-prison pipeline our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, they are trained emergency responders and carry radios. When seconds count, you'll want your SRO to call 911.

You mean like happened at Parkland?

[Anonymous]

People aren't thinking this through. I am a social worker and no way I'd go to some houses without police.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, they are trained emergency responders and carry radios. When seconds count, you'll want your SRO to call 911.

I’m thinking of at least one case when the police officer present did nothing.

Our staff all carry walkies and cell phones. Most of us are first aid certified. We don’t need guns to keep our kids under control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People aren't thinking this through. I am a social worker and no way I'd go to some houses without police.

Are you worried about attacks from 11 year olds?