Lebanon debates need for police officer in schools
Modified: 4/29/2021 11:07:14 PM
LEBANON City residents this week debated whether to do away with Lebanon’s school resource officer position as the School Board prepares to take a decisive vote on the matter next month.
About 20 people spoke about the job in-person and virtually during Wednesday night’s regular School Board meeting, attempting to sway the nine elected officials to their side.
Most argued that the post does more harm than good, particularly to students of color who might not feel comfortable with an armed officer patrolling their schools.
Daniel Chaffee, who said he has children of color, told the board that his kids have discussed being afraid of police.
Lebanon debates need for police officer in schools
Published: 4/30/2021 5:33:25 PM
Lebanon residents this week debated whether to do away with Lebanon’s school resource officer position as the School Board prepares to take a decisive vote on the matter next month.
About 20 people spoke about the job in-person and virtually during Wednesday night’s regular School Board meeting, attempting to sway the nine elected officials to their side.
Most argued that the post does more harm than good, particularly to students of color who might not feel comfortable with an armed officer patrolling their schools.
Daniel Chaffee, who said he has children of color, told the board that his kids have discussed being afraid of police.
Jim Kenyon: Police reform can start in our schools
Modified: 4/24/2021 9:48:48 PM
The call for police reform has captured a lot of attention and hearts in the Upper Valley during the last year.
But sooner or later, the Upper Valley’s reform movement needs a win a substantive policy change that signals progress. (Several communities have passed so-called “welcoming ordinances” designed to protect undocumented immigrants, but they seem more symbolic than anything.)
That’s why so much is riding on what the Lebanon School Board decides in the coming weeks about its school resource officer position.
For 20 years, Lebanon school officials have bought into the fairy tale that deploying an armed cop to patrol the hallways of the city’s high school and middle school should be standard operating procedure.
Valley News - Lebanon School Board mulling debate over campus officer after city vote vnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lebanon voters support eliminating school resource officer position Share Updated: 7:10 PM EST Mar 10, 2021 Matt Leighton Share Updated: 7:10 PM EST Mar 10, 2021
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Show Transcript HERE IN THE CITY BUT NOW IT SEEMS VOTERS DON T WANT IT ANYMORE. ASMA ELHUNI / NH MOVEMENT POLITICS DIRECTOR, RIGHTS & DEMOCRACY - THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS HAVE STATED THAT POLICE DO NOT BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS CHIEF RICHARD MELLO / LEBANON POLICE DEPARTMENT - I THINK THE SCHOOL RESOURCE POSITION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP LEBANON VOTERS DECIDING TUESDAY THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICE POSITION IS ONE THEY D LIKE TO SEE GO.. POLICE OFFICER GREGORY PARTHUM HAS BEEN THE S-R-O FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW. CHIEF RICHARD MELLO / LEBANON POLICE DEPARTMENT - HE SPENDS TIME AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ON OCCASION. HIS PRIMARY ROLE IS TO BUILD AND ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL WITH THE STUDEN