School board talks about role of police in school community
As the national discussion on police and police reform continues many school districts are re-examining the roles that School Resource Officers have in education.
South Burlington is no exception.
At an Oct. 21 school board meeting there was a lengthy conversation about what the role police should play in South Burlington schools, and how to best address the community concerns.
“I think that this has been a good program, but there certainly are concerns out there regarding law enforcement in schools and I think we need to talk a bit about that. When I look at the duties and responsibilities the one part that gives me a bit of pause is the concept of response to delinquent behavior, and what that brings up is are we arresting kids in the school? I don’t believe we are, but that’s one of the concerns of SROs,” said Martin LaLonde, a member of the School Board.
He was referencing the School Resource Officer position description written by the city and school district.
“Looking at the job description it already feels a little outdated to me, even though it was revised in 2015, because there is really no reference to reparative justice at all, or restorative justice,” chair Elizabeth Fitzgerald said.
Their job, as described by superintendent David Young, is “obviously to be a positive role model, and talk a lot about prevention, and through relationships and prevention the hope is that we assist our youth as they move forward with their lives.”
While the officers do become a part of the school district they are paid for by the police department, Young said.
Often a School Resource Officer takes on three roles in one — law enforcement officer, teacher and counselor. In South Burlington schools that includes teaching D.A.R.E., a national drug prevention program.
Some have had roles in extra curricular activities, like coaching.
“Through these instructions they get to know the students very well by name, and they get to know a little bit about the officer, and they get to know a little about people in uniform, and so that has been very positive,” said Young.
Board member Brian Minier raised the question of whether the D.A.R.E curriculum could be taught just as well, or better, by a health or driver’s education teacher, saying, “Which of these functions need a law enforcement officer, and which could be done differently, as well, or better by someone in the school district?”
Delaney Rosner, Junior Representative to the school board, reported mixed feelings from the students towards officers, but some of the students of color she spoke to said they feel a little intimidated from having people in uniform in the hallways. The school board discussed having a potential meeting with the high school’s Student Justice Union, and possibly opening that meeting to the public.
The school district is looking into getting more input from students, teachers and parents about how they feel having law enforcement officers in the school, and what they would like the role to look like going forward. Police chief Shawn Burke is expected to attend the next meeting to speak with the board, too.
“We need to figure out some way of gathering that input about what the students are thinking and feeling about the SROs and whether from their perspective they are building relationships or perhaps changing their perspective or maintaining a good perspective on people in law enforcement, or whether they view them as sort of an uncomfortable presence in the schools,” Bridget Burkhardt, school board clerk, said.
