• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • LAPD officers arrest man in Hollywood for criminal threats, prevent...
        Georgia officer pushes stranded woman’s car to gas station
        Washington police K-9 retires after nearly a decade of service
        “An emotional encounter”: Connecticut police officer talks a man...
        California police officer uses K-9’s leash to rescue drowning man
    • Labor
      • South Dakota Police Department offers $5,000 hiring bonuses to boost...
        Sioux Falls Police Department offers $5K hiring bonuses to boost...
        San Francisco mulls over increasing police recruitment bonuses to...
        Nevada may soon allow noncitizens to become police officers to...
        Florida pays out $5M in hiring bonuses for more than one thousand...
    • Tech
      • Scott City police dispatchers use new technology to livestream...
        NYPD iconic police cruisers get high-tech makeover
        NYPD warns of police attacks after Apple AirTag device was found on...
        Airbnb expands law enforcement portal to fight child trafficking
        West Virginia law enforcement agencies use drones to get a...
    • Training
      • Pennsylvania police utilize VR for de-escalation training
        Running your patrol rifle like a champion
        Present ability, opportunity and apparent intent
        Defensive tactics
        Mechanics, consistency and aggression
    • Policy
      • Iowa House proposes legislation to criminalize ransomware
        Atlanta’s “Cop City” training center project approved despite...
        Arkansas sheriff’s offices refuse to enforce federal ATF gun policy
        President Biden signs bill expanding national missing persons database
        California Highway Patrol spotlights new traffic laws for 2023
    • Health/Wellness
      • Retired Wisconsin police officer offers mental health services for...
        Coping with internal investigation or legal action
        The value of data: Wellness through the eyes of officers
        What officers love, hope and worry about
        Don’t be “that guy” — get moving
    • Community
      • Washington’s King County sets record for fentanyl overdose deaths...
        Brotherly love: Police officer donates kidney to deputy sibling
        North Charleston police officer drafted by professional football team
        “I’m very, very blessed”: Cleveland police officer back on...
        Newark good Samaritan honored for assisting wounded officers
    • Offbeat
      • Pig crosses path with law enforcement in Virginia
        Texas police find cute dog behind the wheel in reckless driving...
        Drunk-driving suspect performs backflip for Ohio police during...
        “Like a scene from ‘Home Alone’”: Georgia man slips on ice...
        “Some real sitcom stuff there”: Florida burglars call 9-1-1 for...
    • We Remember
      • “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
        Chicago police remember fallen and injured officers this holiday...
        Deputy killed by roommate after he “jokingly” pulled trigger of...
        Maryland’s oldest cold case solved
        At least 13 officers shot in five days as wave of violence sweeps...
  • On the Job
    • LAPD officers arrest man in Hollywood for criminal threats, prevent...
      Georgia officer pushes stranded woman’s car to gas station
      Washington police K-9 retires after nearly a decade of service
      “An emotional encounter”: Connecticut police officer talks a man...
      California police officer uses K-9’s leash to rescue drowning man
  • Labor
    • South Dakota Police Department offers $5,000 hiring bonuses to boost...
      Sioux Falls Police Department offers $5K hiring bonuses to boost...
      San Francisco mulls over increasing police recruitment bonuses to...
      Nevada may soon allow noncitizens to become police officers to...
      Florida pays out $5M in hiring bonuses for more than one thousand...
  • Tech
    • Scott City police dispatchers use new technology to livestream...
      NYPD iconic police cruisers get high-tech makeover
      NYPD warns of police attacks after Apple AirTag device was found on...
      Airbnb expands law enforcement portal to fight child trafficking
      West Virginia law enforcement agencies use drones to get a...
  • Training
    • Pennsylvania police utilize VR for de-escalation training
      Running your patrol rifle like a champion
      Present ability, opportunity and apparent intent
      Defensive tactics
      Mechanics, consistency and aggression
  • Policy
    • Iowa House proposes legislation to criminalize ransomware
      Atlanta’s “Cop City” training center project approved despite...
      Arkansas sheriff’s offices refuse to enforce federal ATF gun policy
      President Biden signs bill expanding national missing persons database
      California Highway Patrol spotlights new traffic laws for 2023
  • Health/Wellness
    • Retired Wisconsin police officer offers mental health services for...
      Coping with internal investigation or legal action
      The value of data: Wellness through the eyes of officers
      What officers love, hope and worry about
      Don’t be “that guy” — get moving
  • Community
    • Washington’s King County sets record for fentanyl overdose deaths...
      Brotherly love: Police officer donates kidney to deputy sibling
      North Charleston police officer drafted by professional football team
      “I’m very, very blessed”: Cleveland police officer back on...
      Newark good Samaritan honored for assisting wounded officers
  • Offbeat
    • Pig crosses path with law enforcement in Virginia
      Texas police find cute dog behind the wheel in reckless driving...
      Drunk-driving suspect performs backflip for Ohio police during...
      “Like a scene from ‘Home Alone’”: Georgia man slips on ice...
      “Some real sitcom stuff there”: Florida burglars call 9-1-1 for...
  • We Remember
    • “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
      Chicago police remember fallen and injured officers this holiday...
      Deputy killed by roommate after he “jokingly” pulled trigger of...
      Maryland’s oldest cold case solved
      At least 13 officers shot in five days as wave of violence sweeps...
  • Between the Lines
    • Persecution of the LEO is Classic Schadenfreude
      The Rule of Law is Worthless Without Order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
      The dichotomy of the defund movement: reality setting in
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Policy

Virginia bill would require schools to staff full-time school police officers

APB Team Published February 6, 2022 @ 3:00 pm PST

iStock.com/SDI Productions

The Virginia legislature has drafted a bill that would require every school to have at least one full-time school police officer on duty at all times to boost security and calm parents’ fears.

The bill, authored by Senator Bill DeSteph and Delegate Karen Greenhalgh, is expected to be reviewed by House and Senate committees this week, and if passed into law, would require every school district to partner with local law enforcement agencies to make sure that every school has at least one full-time school resource officer (SRO) on duty.

The bill also specifies that if any party does not comply with the staffing requirement, they may become ineligible for state grants or waivers.

“It’s just for parents to know that their children are safe,” Greenhalgh said.

“We should have safety and security across all of our schools,” DeSteph stated.

The bill is modeled after similar legislation passed in Florida in 2018 following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

Currently, not every school in the state has a full-time SRO. At elementary schools in particular, SROs are often shared between schools.

Opponents of the bill argue that it could lead to the criminalizing of normal school misbehavior or mistreatment of minority students, while advocates claim it would increase school security.

The subject of SRO programs has often been a hot topic following school shootings and has also been the subject of scrutiny during the post–George Floyd-era police reforms.

Several school districts, such as Charlottesville City Schools and Albemarle County’s school boards, eliminated their SRO programs in 2020 in the wake of the reform trend, citing concerns over excessive force directed toward students.

The Arlington County School Board followed suit in 2021, and in May of last year, the City of Alexandria made a similar move but then reinstated their SRO program in October following safety issues.

Governor Glenn Youngkin threw his weight behind the bill during his address at the Joint Assembly on January 17.

“The classroom environment must be safe so children can learn,” Youngkin said. “I’m asking members of this General Assembly to prioritize school safety by putting a school resource officer on every campus.”

To make the SRO program feasible, Youngkin proposed putting $50 million aside from the $158 billion two-year budget for school districts to hire SROs.

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposed the bills and suggested using such a sum to hire school counselors and support staff instead of police officers.

“Policing in school disproportionately targets students of color and students with disabilities, and the reality is that the presence of an SRO undermines the academic environment and allows for the escalation of routine administrative discipline,” ACLU of Virginia Policy Director Ashna Khanna told the Virginia Mercury.

Greenhalgh responded by saying that local school boards could implement policies to ensure SROs are fulfilling their intended purpose. She argued that ultimately having a police presence in schools would keep parents and children comfortable.

“I certainly hope parents don’t feel fearful, and I am hoping that having law enforcement officers in the elementary school will serve more of a community interest,” she said. “Have the children comfortable and know that the police are there to protect them, and maybe take down some of the fears that children have.”

Categories: Policy Tags: school police officers, Karen Greenhalgh, Bill DeSteph, Glenn Youngkin, ACLU, Police Reform, Virginia, school resource officer, school shooting, legislature

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Scott City police dispatchers use new technology to livestream emergency calls in real time
  • LAPD officers arrest man in Hollywood for criminal threats, prevent possible mass shooting
  • Iowa House proposes legislation to criminalize ransomware
  • Atlanta’s “Cop City” training center project approved despite activist opposition
  • Pig crosses path with law enforcement in Virginia
  • NYPD iconic police cruisers get high-tech makeover
  • Georgia officer pushes stranded woman’s car to gas station
  • Washington’s King County sets record for fentanyl overdose deaths in 2022; morgue running out of space for bodies
  • NYPD warns of police attacks after Apple AirTag device was found on marked patrol vehicle
  • South Dakota Police Department offers $5,000 hiring bonuses to boost recruiting and diversity

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.