What is your stance on having police in our schools?

The recent dialogue about the role of sworn police officers in our schools is important given the history of police disregard of human dignity of people of color in the US.

Right now, according to NPR reports, the US’s fastest growing area of law enforcement is school-based policing. But the truth is that there are no valid studies that show any proof that these efforts actually result in safer learning environments.

While School Resource Officer (SRO) positions were supposed to be for the greater good, they actually lead to higher rates of suspensions, expulsions and arrests, particularly for students of color. This creates a funnel of kids into the criminal justice system. This pipeline to prison must be addressed.

In fact, our own 2019-2020 LCAP report showed that AUSD has a disproportionate rate of suspensions of our African-American, Pacific Islander and foster youth students and an even more glaring disproportionate rate for our Students with Disabilities and Homeless Youth.

Students, parents and advocates have raised their voices about concerns and encounters with police. The stories about excessive use of force at our schools are heartbreaking and revealing. I am glad to know that the city made steps towards removing the funding for police in our schools. I would like to see it put to better use towards supports such as more mental health and social work access for our students. It would shift the focus to the root of the problem instead of punishment. Additionally, all our students would benefit from additional educational and counseling services that could result in AUSD meeting their LCAP goals.