School board surprised by recommendation to expand police presence in Berkeley high schools
School resource officer program wins over committee but school board members still question if police are needed to keep schools safe.
The Berkeley school district is considering what role, if any, police should play in its schools.
At a board meeting on Wednesday night, school board members debated the role of the School Resource Officer (SRO), a single officer employed by the Berkeley Police Department who is stationed at school campuses.
Since 2019, Geoffrey Mitchell has been the district’s sole SRO. He works on the campuses of Berkeley High and Berkeley Technology Academy, the district’s continuation school, four days a week. He also tutors students on Berkeley High’s football team.