Anti-School Police Commentary Paints False School Safety Picture
In ““Taking Safety Too Far: The Ill-Defined Role Police Play in Schools,” a February 24th commentary article in Education Week, authors and civil rights advocates Johanna Wald and Lisa Thurau presented what I believe to be a very skewed misrepresentation of school resource officers (SROs), school police, and administrators. I responded with a letter to the editor […]
Is School Safety Really a Priority to Your School Board, Superintendent, and Community?
Why is school safety always the first on the chopping block by school boards and superintendents when schools cut budgets? Do they really care about school safety? It has been my experience that school board members, superintendents, and others in education are very caring people. They care about kids. And they care about their […]
School Police Departments and SRO Programs: An Analysis
Three veteran school police and security administrators, in independent interviews this past week, each revealed three common threads of critical elements for successful school police and/or School Resource Officer (SRO) programs: Selecting the right officer: The officer must want to work in schools. There must be a “good fit” for the officer and the school. The […]
School Resource Officers (SROs): Training, Selection, and Communication are Keys
Curt Lavarello has over 24 years experience in the field of school-based policing. It doesn’t take him long to identify the top three critical elements of a successful School Resource Officer (SRO) program: Complete agency commitment to the program from the chief/sheriff and throughout all areas of the agency; The selection and training of the right persons to […]
School Resource Officers (SROs) and School Police Departments
Memphis Schools’ superintendent, Dr. Kriner Cash, wants it. Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin is strongly against it. The Memphis Mayor, A C Wharton, is now against it. State legislators are trying to determine whether or not to make it legal. So what is the “it” that has these school and city leaders in Memphis in a […]