Are police officers needed in Middletown schools?
MIDDLETOWN  More than a dozen people  many of them students  provided insight and first-hand perspective to a committee examining the role of student resource officers and whether they are needed in the districts 11 schools. The Board of Education recently formed the Student Resource Officers Exploratory Committee, which is charged with examining the overall use and practices of the SROs and review how it fits within the districts equity model, according to BOE and committee member Dina Ford. The committee is comprised of BOE members, a police officer, the youth services coordinator, school administrators, community members and students. We want to make sure that all students, parents and staff have a voice in deciding whether SROs have a place in our districts school culture, Ford said. Most current and former Middletown High School students spoke during last weeks meeting against maintaining the officers, while some said they can see both sides of the argument. It seems like theyre supposed to fill two categories of responsibilities: preventing and responding to crime, and supporting students through community building and education, Sophie Naylor, a recent graduate, said, according to the meeting video. I really dont think theyre fulfilling either of these things, said Naylor, who has talked with fellow students and teachers about the topic. It seems like everybody is noticing an increase in violence  which I get  thats inspiring people to want more SROs, or at least a continued police presence.  Lily Doan, who graduated in 2019, understands both sides of the argument because officers being there alleviate some of the tensions and concerns in general, especially with the current climate with policing, she said. Doan would like to see more resources go toward helping students with mental health issues, pointing out how she has benefited from the school-based health center. While I do think police presence to some degree is needed at the high school with school violence, God forbid, anything happens, some of the funding should be directed toward other necessities, she said. Common Councilwoman Linda Salafia shared a statement from three-year Woodrow Wilson Middle School SRO Officer Eric Sanford on her Facebook page. Hes concerned many parents are unaware the idea of SROs is being revisited, and others may have a misconception of what an SRO does on a daily basis, according to Sanford, who has also been a DARE instructor and substitute teacher. I have made less than 10 total arrests, most of which were the result of thorough investigations of issues taking place on social media, all in cooperation with parents, he said. I have never handcuffed a student nor have I placed a student in a police car. I make every attempt to stay in touch with the student and their families, and explore all options available to find alternatives to the student entering the judicial system, Sanford said. Student Evan Davis supports removing SROs from the schools, especially after reading about what he thinks are deficits in training these officers, he said. Hed like to see trauma-informed practices, racial equity, serving students with disabilities, adolescent brain development, mental illness.  Those who chose to speak at this last meeting were passionate, equipped with data, and had mounds of maturity that is always welcoming to see in our towns youth, Ford said. Former common council minority leader and ex-mayor Sebastian Giuliano discussed a report compiled about a decade ago by retired chief Lynn Baldoni, which examined population, the citys size, as well as local institutions that serve residents and nonresidents. Theyre provided to the school district at the request and invitation of the school district, he said of SROs. If the school didnt want them there, its not like theyd get laid off. It wouldnt take time to find other things for [police] to do.  When Giuliano was mayor, he removed SROs from the schools at the request of the district administration. It didnt take them too long for them to ask for them back, he said. Resident Joanne Thrasher wants police officers to remain in the schools. I think its very good for young kids and also for young teenagers, she said. Thrashers grandson attends preschool at Wesley Elementary School. It really teaches the kids not to be afraid of them because they have a good rapport with them, something theyll carry with them as they grow older, she said. Children are our most precious resource, lifelong resident Joseph Carta said, adding that having officers positioned in the schools is part of good community policing, especially at the youngest grades. He believes policies should be reviewed and updated periodically. Im imploring you all to please think long and hard about the decisions you make, Carta said. The committee will next meet June 15 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. The agenda will be posted on the school districts website before the meeting.