The city council this week unanimously signed off on an agreement to continue placing Longmont Police Officers in secondary schools in the St. Vrain Valley School District.
Council members, without comment, approved an intergovernmental agreement between Longmont Public Safety and the school district for the use of School Resource Officers — or SROs — in secondary schools. As part of the agreement, the school district will fund a portion of the cost of the officers.
The use of SROs in St. Vrain Schools prompted Councilmember Susie Hildalgo-Fahring earlier this year to ask for a detailed review of the program. SRO programs have been criticized in other school districts over claims officers were unfairly targeting minority students with arrests and summonses.
SRO Sgt. John Garcia told the council in March that 1.5% of officers in schools are involved in arresting students. Most of the time, SROs counsel and mentor students, Garcia said.
A city staff report states there were no arrests initiated by SROs in the school district in the past two years and only three out of 181 summonses issued came directly from SROs.
“As law enforcement officers, informal counselors, mentors and public safety educators with the school, SROs aim to build relationships with students and staff and work in partnership to promote safer schools,” a staff report given to the city council Tuesday states.
