School resource officers, or SROs, are law enforcement officers who are given the role of protecting students in school. After recent protests against police brutality, some question if the presence of SROs in schools actually does more harm than good, as some say they can be threatening to students of color and students with disabilities.
CHCCS is currently evaluating the future of SROs in the school system through a committee assembled by former Interim Superintendent Jim Causby. It will make a recommendation to the Board of Education on whether the SRO program should continue as it is, continue with adjustments or be replaced entirely.
“This is important work and right now there are no SROs working at all,” Causby said. “Their contract ended and since early August we have not been using SROs, and until the task force makes a recommendation and the Board takes action, we will not be using them.”
Causby assembled the committee of 47 members with “almost every area of thought represented.” The teachers, administrators, parents, community members and students who make up the group are tasked with sharing their experiences and perspectives during meetings to ultimately vote on the decision that they will present to the Board. East’s student representative, senior Miles Charles, argues that SROs should be replaced.
“I think we should explore alternatives to having SROs in school,” Charles said. “There is good evidence that having SROs in school disproportionately affects students of color. Other school districts have eliminated SROs and replaced them with programs that focus on restorative justice.”
Some criticize schools that employ SROs for upholding the school-to-prison pipeline. SROs are trained police officers who usually carry firearms and wear a uniform. They are expected to interact with students and work simultaneously as a counselor and an officer. According to data from the Justice Policy Institute, schools with SROs on campus have a higher rate of legal action taken against students, especially for low-level offences. Black, Hispanic and disabled students are more likely to be arrested on disorderly conduct charges for ordinary misbehavior.
Orange County allocates a combined total of $595,736.54 for SROs out of the town budgets for Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Before their contracts ran out, there were a total of eight SROs working in CHCCS, one at each middle and high school and one substitute. The gender and racial breakdown of the SROs was seven males and one female, and all eight were white. CHCCS does not track non-criminal interactions between SROs and students, but over the last two years there have been no arrests made by SROs in CHCCS during the school day.
Supporters of replacing SROs believe that their funding could be reallocated to different types of support staff in schools, such as counselors, social workers, mental health specialists and additional security guards. While SROs are sworn members of local police departments that interact with students, security guards are not affiliated with police and have little to no interaction with students. Some members of the committee, including Assistant Principal Ileana Herrera, are less sure about removing SROs from campus over concern that school will be less secure, so they are relying on hearing the voices of others to make their decision.
“I have mixed feelings, and one of the reasons why I like this committee is that I’m having the opportunity of listening to the perspectives of many different people, people who are very much against and people who are in favor of keeping the SROs,” Herrera said. “I’m open to new possibilities, but the main mission of a school administrator is to make the school safe, that is the most important thing. Once we ensure safety, then we can provide quality education to all of our students.”
Employing SROs began in the 1990s as a protective measure when mass shootings became a threat in schools, and some say that this protection is still necessary today. While Herrera is open to eliminating SROs, she and others are concerned about what could be a lack of protection from outside threats, which is why the committee is considering adjusting the role of SROs or finding another option to ensure protection for students.
“There’s many adults that come into the building that we can’t necessarily be safe from,” Herrera said. “I have been spit on my face at school, for example, and I have been scared of adults. I would like to feel that there’s another level of protection. If the SROs are not returning to schools, then I would be open to having another level of security that doesn’t require a gun or a weapon, such as more security guards.”
The committee has no definite timeline for their decision making, and students who want to voice their opinion on SROs are encouraged to email school board members. Charles is furthering efforts to involve students through a national campaign that promotes alternatives to SROs.
“We have a ‘Counselors not Cops’ campaign that is supported by the Youth NAACP,” Charles said. “Several East students are making plans to launch the campaign at school. We are working with Mr. Proulx to circulate information about the campaign and an interest form for students who want to get involved in this campaign to reconsider the role of SROs in our schools.”
Photo by ECHO staff
