A joint effort that puts School Resource Officers, or SROs, into local schools is being put on hold after city council members raised questions about the benefits of the program.
Council members said Tuesday night SROs have been praised by parents and are key parts of efforts to reduce teen crime. They also said they have fielded complaints that students of color are unfairly targeted by SROs.
“I have hard first hand accounts of children of color who feel they get different treatment from SROs,” Councilmember Marcia Martin said.
Councilmember Susie Hidalgo-Fehring, who is a teacher in the St. Vrain Valley School District, said her own children have “experienced not so positive interactions with their SROs in high school and middle school.”
The council agreed to table an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the St. Vrain Valley School District to get more information about the effectiveness of SROs.
Their findings are scheduled to be reviewed by the city council later this month.
Other school districts — including Denver Public Schools and Boulder Valley — have dropped their SRO programs over complaints from minority students that they are singled out for harassment in school hallways by police.
Martin said the issues in other districts suggest “one should proceed with caution … I’m in favor of seeing a presentation...before we vote on it.”
Longmont Police Sgt. John Garcia told the city council that officers picked to be SROs are specially trained in child brain and behavioral development. They are selected to work in schools on the recommendation of school officials and counselors.
“But it’s definitely a collaborative effort” between the district and the city, Garcia said.
Councilmember Tim Waters said the school district is responsible for how the officers are used and not the city. He also did not want the controversies in other districts to influence the decision to sign the intergovernmental agreement.
“I’m a big fan of the SRO program and the role they play in the restorative justice program and the role they play in the safety and security on the campus,” Waters said. “I understand there have been issues … I wouldn't want to generalize what’s happened across the country to what’s happening in Longmont.”
