County bill would let officers remain stationed in schools, but enhance training
March 5, 2021 | 9:07 am
March 5, 2021
The Montgomery County Council on Thursday held a public hearing about a proposed bill to retain MCPS school resource officers.
Screenshot via live stream
A variety of opinions about school-based police were shared Thursday during a hearing about proposed legislation to enhance the training of officers while they remain stationed in school buildings.
Some people spoke in favor of the bill during a hearing, saying they believe the officers make schools safer, help build positive relationships with law enforcement officers and provide “invaluable” support to students and families.
“Everyone on this Council seems to agree that Black lives matter,” former Board of Education member Nate Tinbite said. “And if you sincerely believe that, then the massively disproportionate arrest statistics, wrenching stories and national peer review research should be enough.”
The independent Office of Legislative Oversight found that Black students, who made up only 22% of Montgomery County’s school population in 2019, were 47% of those arrested during the four-year period from 2015 to 2019.
“The Montgomery County Public Schools SRO program is racist,” student Mauricio Quintero-Aviles said.
“It is time that we drop this dumbfounded narrative that SROs are mentors,” said Lauren Payne of Young People for Progress.