By Adam Pagnucco.
Previously, I introduced this series and asked the candidates about what they believed was MCPS’s biggest problem, their experience with budgets, their opinions on the incumbents and their positions on opt outs. Now let’s talk about police officers in schools.
MCPS once had school resource officers (SROs) stationed at high schools. Three years ago, County Executive Marc Elrich announced that he was removing SROs from schools despite their unanimous support from MCPS principals. With crime rising afterwards, the county and MCPS developed a new community engagement officer (CEO) program to bring police back to schools a year later. Former Bethesda Beat reporter Caitlynn Peetz recounted that history and explained the differences between SROs and CEOs in this April 2022 article.
With concern over crime inside and outside schools still on the minds of residents, the question of police in schools remains an issue. Let’s find out how the candidates see it.
Question: Should police officers be stationed inside high schools? Should they be stationed inside middle schools? And if they are stationed inside any schools, how should they interact with students?
Lynne Harris, At-Large (Incumbent): The school to prison pipeline is real, and Maryland’s data around the incarceration of young men of color, and the amount of money we spend incarcerating versus educating, is among the worst in the nation. Any conversation about police in schools must be grounded in that reality.
I am not willing to entertain bringing police into schools until we have fully implemented, with quality and fidelity in all schools, the Restorative Justice practices that we know work to reduce incidents and prevent recurrence among those who make bad choices. I am similarly unwilling to devolve to a reliance on police before we have fully and comprehensively partnered with our Positive Youth Development and Street Outreach Network professional colleagues in DHHS – whose bread and butter is identifying, confronting, defusing, mediating and healing conflict in the community. Because most serious incidents occurring in schools arise from issues and conflicts originating OUTSIDE the schools, in the community.
Sharif Hidayat, At-Large: School Resource Officers should be inside both middle and high schools. The School Resource Officer program was a wonderful program that built strong relationships of trust between the Officers and the students. The students loved the officers, the teachers loved the officers and the principles loved the officers. The program needs to be reinstated in its original form.
Melissa Kim, At-Large: No response
Jonathan Long, At-Large: Police officers should be stationed inside high schools. With so much gun violence in schools around the country, I’m surprised that there are currently no police officers in MCPS schools. Some of the concerns stem from community mistrust of police. But, this is exactly why police need to be embedded in the community. They get to know the students personally and there is a much better chance of understanding and successfully deescalating situations. Police need to remember that they are working with kids and prioritize friendly relations when there is no immediate danger posed in a specific situation. The day a school faces a real threat, we absolutely do want trained law enforcement on site.
Fitzgerald Mofor, At-Large: When I went to Sherwood High School, I interacted with School Resource Officers (SRO), and the stationed officer in my school, who was an African American gentleman, always demanded excellence from us. This isn’t anecdotal. The Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) did a report, and the findings showed that there wasn’t any substantive evidence that insinuates that SROs in schools fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. I empathize with thwarting such practices, and I do not believe MCPS should completely eradicate its Restorative Justice program. At times, mediation and intervention are more effective than punitive punishment. I’ve also dealt with this personally at MCPS. However, we have to prioritize teacher and student safety. Since the removal of School Resource Officers (SRO), Montgomery County Public Schools has endured its first school shooting. There’s been a +120% increase in youth overdoses in MCPS as well. We have to have a property safety apparatus in schools that can be used as a deterrent mechanism and address physical altercations that may arise as students are still suffering from a lack of social and emotional development post-pandemic. I support the resurgence of SROs back into school. However, I am willing to negotiate and make concessions.
Rita Montoya, At-Large: There is also no clear consensus among teachers, staff, administrators, students and families. It is also important to recognize that some have a legitimate fear of law enforcement and a fully outfitted officer inside of a school every day may trigger those fears. I think we need to engage with each school community (starting at the high school level) to find out from administrators, the security team, teachers, staff, students and parents/caregivers about what is working and not working to determine what approach is right for that school. If police officers are stationed in schools, we must ensure that community-oriented officers are selected; that they are trained in anti-racist and anti-biased methods; and that their approach and appearance is not fear-inducing. To truly ensure safety in our schools, we must provide students with what they need to learn and stay motivated to succeed. If elected, I will fight for fully staffing schools with the teachers, para-educators and social workers they need; sufficient resources and instructional supplies for robust instruction delivery; and access to extracurriculars like safe, well stocked workout rooms, internships and cultural arts opportunities like Theatre.
Brenda Diaz, District 2: Yes, police officers should be stationed inside high schools and middle schools. As a former Social Studies teacher at Gaithersburg High School when School Resource Officers were still present in our building, I remember the positive relationships the officers formed with students and teachers. School Resource Officers served as mentors and role models to our students. MCAAP’s letter to the Board of Education affirmed their presence in our schools when they proclaimed their importance in meeting the Safe to Learn Act of 2018. Community Engagement Officers currently serve a cluster of schools. Therefore, “officers who may be called to a school (and who are not a part of the SRO program) most likely do not have that history or a collaborative and positive relationship with the student body.” We want MCPS to “truly [be] a system that builds and appreciates relational community,” as Dr. Christine Handy noted on behalf of MCAAP. Unfortunately, MCPS has not released the 2023-2024 School Safety & Security at a Glance report, only that for 2021-2002. However, with teachers anonymously reporting a string of major fights at Clarksburg High School and another report of a student arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Gaithersburg High School, the question arises of whether the rise in violence in our schools would leave MCPS in violation of the Safe to Learn Act of 2018. It is clear that safety must be a priority for the Board.
Ricky Fai Mui, District 2: Last year, a group of elementary students ingested drugs at their school, thinking it was candy. I heard other anecdotes where drugs were sold or used at schools, where the bathrooms’ air were filled with Marijuana smoke. I heard countless stories where faculty members hesitate to confiscate drugs or intercede in illegal activities for fear of personal safety. Although some instances are reported, there is typically a significant gap of time and lack of evidence.
School Resource Officers. It is unfortunate that we need to co-locate Law Enforcement within our schools. The symptom indicates that either the school administration was unable to maintain order and discipline or that criminal elements overwhelmed any response enacted. First, we must all condemn the use of illegal substances in our schools. There must be public support to keep our schools drugs and weapons free. MCPS owes our children a safe and encouraging environment to learn. If circumstances routinely exceed the school’s administration’s capabilities or safety, I would advocate for assigning an SRO at the school, to mitigate the risks to our children, at the shortest response time possible. Our students should be happy to have a protector available at their schools to maintain safety.
Rebecca Smondrowski, District 2 (Incumbent): I believe that CEO/SROs should be stationed in middle schools and focus on elementary and middle school students, while providing support to cluster high schools. The earlier our law enforcement partners can build relationships with students and school, the better off the program, our schools and communities will be. MCPS and CEO/SROs need to work in partnership and be very inclusive in their neighborhoods and communities. The program should exist to support the safety of our students, staff, and families with a goal of building positive relationships and reducing disciplinary actions and safety incidents our in high schools.
Aby Thioye, District 2: Being secure from violence is a basic right, as well as a prerequisite of academic success. I do believe that police officers should be stationed in high schools because it significantly reduces violence. That said, we must implement practices through training and MOUs that address some of the potential downsides of having police officers in schools. For example, officers should not be involved in minor infractions, and they must have clear protocols and training on the use of force and restraints.
Natalie Zimmerman, District 2: I do not support the use of School Resource Officers (SROs) in any MCPS schools. The Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018 requires that schools are provided adequate law enforcement coverage – not that SROs are required to be in each building. The National Association of School Resource Officers reported in 2021 that over 68% of the SROs surveyed stated that they saw law enforcement as their main role and mentorship as a second aspect – despite any Memorandums of Understanding their schools may have written. This data supports the idea that SROs are part of the school to prison pipeline. Instead of SROs, there needs to be a greater number of mental health supports for students. MCPS is currently not meeting the nationally recommended guidelines for school counselors, school psychologists, or social workers and meeting these guidelines should be the first step in schools. Students deserve support not shackles.
Shebra Evans, District 4 (Incumbent): The School Resource Officers were removed from schools. Community Engagement Officers (CEOs) are working with school principals, security team leads to work to build community, understand what it means to be culturally responsive, know what a trauma-informed response looks like, learn our code of conduct and learn restorative practices and more. Schools, students, families and staff should understand and know what a safe school environment looks and feels like. The school system is responsible for providing it. The work continues in this area. An update on the CEO program is necessary to have out in the community. I would like to hear or have a broader conversation with staff, students, families, and security staff on what’s working and/or ways to improve. The conversation is actually much bigger then CEOs. Our students are faced with challenges both in and out of school and collaborating with community partners will be key.
Bethany Mandel, District 4: Yes and yes. They serve three functions: Breaking up any potential conflicts, keeping the peace, and serving as a bridge between students and law enforcement. They are there to help be guides and mentors for students, not just about the law, but also about matters related to safety and drugs.
Laura Stewart, District 4: MCPS needs more security and preventative measures to keep kids and staff safe in school. I propose School Safety and Climate Teams composed of the entire school community to develop school safety plans to be submitted to the Superintendent. These plans should assess the need for more security officers, cameras, vape detectors, bathroom safety measures, level of coordination with community engagement officers (CEO’s) and the need for more CEO’s if there are certain hotspots.
On the preventative side, an assessment should be performed on the need for mediation services, mental health services, addiction therapy, family support, and after-school activities. Healthy school climate can also be a factor in keeping kids safe from bullying. There should be more training and programs on antisemitism, islamophobia, LGBTQ+ bigotry, and racism.
The CEO model should be enhanced rather than returning to the SRO model. That model did not guarantee coverage all day at all schools (some worked four day weeks) and when they had an office inside schools, police were used for discipline too often. Principals need to be able to call CEO’s into schools when needed, and those police officers should have a relationship with the schools they serve.
Next: Teacher salary transfers.