HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupplemental Materials - Ad Hoc Community Impact Committee - 08/24/2020 - School Resource Officers Information
School Justice PSD
TALKING POINTS
August 18, 2020
School Justice PSD believes that law enforcement (SROs) should be removed from schools
because:
1) Students are in need of vital services for students, such as providing counselors and mental health
workers.
2) Security can be provided by non-law enforcement entities at less expense with better outcomes.
3) Police presence in schools is harmful to our students and disproportionately impacts minoritized and
disabled populations.
SROs must be eliminated and those funds must be redirected for these reasons:
• While approximately 25% of the students in Poudre School District are students of color,
nearly 50% of the students referred to law enforcement or disciplined in PSD are minoritized students.
• While approximately 8% of children in PSD have an IEP (special education plan) they compose
approximately 25% of children disciplined and 18% of law enforcement referrals.
• PSD spends nearly $1 million a year on police in schools.
• PSD does not have enough money for counselors and does not maintain the recommended student to
counselor ratio.
• Law enforcement in schools does not increase school safety or prevent school shootings.
• An increase in mental health services for students does increase school safety.
• Money spent on SROs should be used instead for increasing the number of counselors, mental health
services, and other necessary resources for students.
• SROs in schools lead to racial profiling of students.
• SROs in schools increase fear and mistrust among students of color.
• SROs result in violations of procedural and civil rights of students.
• SROs lead to the criminalization of students.
• SROs lead to more suspensions, expulsions, and legal actions against minoritized students.
• A law enforcement referral can cause students to lose their DACA, resulting in possible
deportation of undocumented students.
• When police are in schools, administrators use law enforcement for discipline.
• Administrators in police free schoosl use more effective disciplinary practices, such as
restorative justice.
There are many alternatives to deploying SROs in schools that do not cause harm to students
of color and instead result in healthier school communities.
Contact information: nomoresros@gmail.com Facebook: School Justice PSD Instagram: schooljusticepsd