In response to mounting fears over student safety, Denver public school leaders have made the decision to bring back school resource officers to campuses permanently, reversing their previous stance of banning law enforcement personnel from schools.
The move comes as communities across the United States grapple with a surge in gun violence, which has led to a re-evaluation of the role of police in educational institutions.
The initial decision to remove police officers from Denver schools was made in the summer of 2020, following protests against law enforcement after the murder of George Floyd. Concerns over the disproportionate arrests of Black students played a significant role in the school board’s decision at the time, as data revealed stark racial disparities in student arrests.
However, a recent spate of violence affecting Denver city schools prompted a swift reversal.
Armed officers were deployed to schools during the final weeks of the academic year, and beginning this fall, school resource officers will return permanently.
This shift reflects a broader trend across the nation, with various communities, including Alexandria, Virginia, and Pomona, California, also choosing to reinstate school resource officers. Seattle and Washington, among other larger cities that removed officers, are currently engaged in heated debates about their reintroduction.
The decision in Denver came amid the trial of Scot Peterson, the former school resource officer in Parkland, Florida. Prosecutors sought a criminal conviction for Peterson’s inaction during the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, raising important questions about the responsibilities and duties of campus officers in responding to school violence. On June 29, Peterson was found not guilty of child neglect, but he still faces a civil lawsuit brought by the parents of four of the victims.
While the presence of school resource officers has been associated with disproportionate suspensions and arrests of Black and Latino students, recent school shootings in Parkland and Uvalde, Texas, have underscored law enforcement failures in preventing mass killings. These incidents have reignited debates regarding the effectiveness of armed officers in schools.
“That’s what we all sign up for,” Chief Ron Thomas of the Denver Police Department said in an interview with the New York Times. “To protect life and property. Beyond the legal obligation, I just think there’s an obligation that we take on as police officers to protect people.”
The decision to reintroduce police officers to Denver schools was driven mostly by parents who mobilized following recent shootings in the area.
The tragic events, including the shooting of popular soccer player Luis Garcia near East High School, as well as an incident where a 17-year-old student wounded two school administrators, propelled parents to advocate for increased security measures.
“You have to do what you have to do to keep these kids safe,” said Dorian Warren, whose child attends East High School. “And I feel like we are gambling every time we don’t.”
Critics of officers in schools argue that adolescent misbehavior is often criminalized, leading to unnecessary confrontations. But as Denver schools prepare to reintegrate police officers, efforts are underway to establish clear guidelines for their role. The Denver Police Department and the school district are in the process of drafting an agreement to ensure that officers remain within their designated responsibilities.
The police department is also collaborating with the city’s Office of Children’s Affairs to consider alternatives to arrests and citations while focusing on school-based discipline matters. Additionally, school officers will receive specialized training on adolescent brain development and active shooter scenarios.
“Kids running down the hallway, screaming, using foul language, that’s a school discipline matter and we’re going to let the schools handle that however they see fit. Outside of that, we will certainly serve as a deterrent to an active shooter situation,” Chief Thomas assured.
