When America's schools reopen, police don't belong there
Since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, many Americans have been demanding that we change the role law enforcement plays in our daily lives. Demonstrations in the streets have called for disinvesting in police and, critically, reallocating resources into communities that historically have been affected by systematically racist policies.
One practice that has garnered significant criticism is stationing police in schools. A growing chorus of community members and local leaders across the country is calling for an end to school resource officers (SROs), some of whom have been linked to racially-biased outcomes and an increased flow of youths into jails or detention programs. In the past six weeks, more than 40 school districts have eliminated or suspended SRO programs.
Congress has taken note of these calls to remove police from schools - Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), along with Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), recently introduced the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act. The bill would eliminate any federal dollars being spent to support SRO programs.
Since 1999, the Department of Justice has allocated $1 billion to fund 46,000 SRO positions. Currently, as many as 20,000 sworn law enforcement officers spend some or all of their time on the grounds of schools. While the Department of Justice defines SROs broadly - not just as law enforcement, but also as counselors, educators and emergency managers - their training and daily duties are largely focused on law enforcement.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/when-america-s-schools-reopen-police-don-t-belong-there/ar-BB1800c7?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=DELLDHP