School resource officers return as ‘defund the police’ movement fades.
School Districts Reversing Course on School Resource Officers
School districts that had previously voted to eliminate school resource officers are now backtracking and bringing back armed security. This shift comes in response to the “defund the police” movement that gained traction during the summer of 2020.
In June, the Denver School Board made a stark reversal, voting 4-3 to permit the “persistent presence of school resource officers” in the city’s schools. This decision came after the board had voted to eliminate all SROs in 2020.
Similar Story in the Nation’s Capital
A similar story unfolded in the nation’s capital. The D.C. Council, under pressure from Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, scrapped plans to eliminate school resource officers during a May meeting. Bowser stated in a 2022 statement that school leaders overwhelmingly opposed removing SROs and emphasized the need for support to keep all students safe.
The restoration of school resource officers aligns with the distancing efforts of Democratic politicians, including President Joe Biden, from the defund the police movement. This movement gained prominence during the riots of summer 2020 following the death of George Floyd.
Max Eden, a research fellow in education at the American Enterprise Institute, explained that an increase in crime forced some school districts to reassess their plans to eliminate police presence in schools. However, Eden also criticized certain urban education leaders for prioritizing social justice virtue signaling over student safety.
False Impressions and Public Support
Eden pointed out that the closure of schools during the 2020-2021 school year allowed districts to give the false impression that incidents had declined without resource officers. However, when students returned, incidents skyrocketed, leading some school leaders to reconsider their stance.
A survey conducted by the Colorado Polling Institute revealed that a whopping 63% of voters supported the Denver School Board’s decision to restore school resource officers.
Efforts in Congress
In Congress, there have been efforts to fund school resource officers in schools. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who was the governor of Florida during the tragic 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, introduced the School Guardian Act to provide federal funding for armed security in schools.
Scott emphasized the bipartisan nature of supporting law enforcement and highlighted the importance of having trained school resource officers to ensure the safety of children.
Protecting our kids and supporting law enforcement should not be a partisan issue — our brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line daily to protect our communities. We cannot allow Democrats to demonize them with dangerous defunding attempts,” Scott said. “Having a trained school resource officer at every school in America will help deter dangerous criminals and give parents peace of mind that someone is protecting their kid.”
Overall, the reversal of decisions to eliminate school resource officers reflects a growing recognition of the importance of their presence in ensuring student safety.
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