Sam Gurwitt Photo
Hamden Mayor Curt Leng.
When Hamden Mayor Curt Leng announced his proposed new fiscal year budget last week, he highlighted the addition of two school resource officers (SROs) — aka cops — to Hamden’s elementary schools.
He presented their introduction as an exciting change for the town. Some school officials and elected officials, on the other hand, are less enthusiastic about increasing police presence in Hamden’s schools.
Earlier this week, the Hamden Progressive Action Network (HamPAN) released a petition opposing the expansion of the SRO program, which has a longstanding version operating in New Haven.
The petition argues police in schools don’t actually make students safer. It adds that their presence increases discipline, disproportionately affecting black and brown students and students with disabilities. Finally, the petition states, the money could be better spent elsewhere —for example, to pay for another teacher, a social worker, or a psychologist.
As of mid-Thursday afternoon, 78 people had signed the petition.
When police are brought into elementary schools, argued HamPAN Founder Jen Pope, “discipline gets escalated to a level that is not necessary. The kids that get affected most by that are black and brown students and students with disabilities.”
HamPAN Founder Jen Pope.
Some Legislative Council members have also expressed opposition to the mayor’s proposal.
“Which kids are we going to be policing?” asked District 5 Rep. Justin Farmer. He said that historical data from other places shows that poorer students and students of color will bear the brunt of increased discipline if SROs come to the elementary schools.
According to Acting Police Chief John Cappiello, the resource officers would rotate among the town’s eight (soon to be seven) elementary schools.
Acting Police Chief John Cappiello.
Farmer’s colleague across the aisle agreed that the SROs are not necessary.
“I don’t think the town has the money to do it. I don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t know why the mayor thinks that providing that is a necessity,” said At-Large Rep. Marjorie Bonadies, one of two Republicans on the council. “We haven’t really seen a rationale from the mayor.”
The Hamden School District currently has three SROs, who serve in the high school and middle school.
“SROs can be very positive forces for good in our schools, serving as informal counselors and mentors, educating students on dangers from internet to guns, helping prevent violence big and small and serving when needed as law enforcement,” wrote Leng in a statement.
“It takes the right officer to do this effectively, one with the proper compassion, demeanor and training. Having these officers present in our buildings also has the potential of deterring the worst from occurring, something that I really wish we didn’t have to think about – but we most certainly do.”
Leng pointed to information from the National Association of School Resource Officers. According to one passage he cited, “NASRO considers it a best practice to use a ‘triad concept’ to define the three main roles of school resource officers: educator (i.e. guest lecturer), informal counselor/mentor, and law enforcement officer.”
Leng said he appreciates the petition for sparking discussion about school safety.
“This is not a political issue, and shouldn’t be treated as one,” he wrote. “This shouldn’t be a debate about choosing between School Resource Officers or additional Mental Health and Social Work professionals. This is not a time for a “this or that” discussion – it’s too important for that – we need both; done the right way, with the right people, with the right training.”
Safety? Relationships?
Council Rep. Marjorie Bonadies.
According to Superintendent Jody Goeler, the purpose of Hamden’s SROs is to develop relationships with students. They’re not there to arrest kids, he said, but rather to help kids and talk with them. They can also help keep schools safe, less because of their function as guards and more because of what they hear from students, he said.
“Students are really the ones who have the opportunity to make our schools safe,” said Goeler. If the SROs have trusting relationships with students, then they will give the officers tips about potential threats to school and student safety.
“SRO’s develop positive relationship with students and create strategies to resolve problems that affect our youth with the goal of protecting all children,” wrote Hamden High School Principal Nadine Gannon. “Many students view the school SRO as a confidant, a person who will listen to problems and work to solve them.”
A recent report by Megan French-Marcelin for the ACLU argues that placing police in schools often results in unfair and discriminatory disciplinary practices: “Law enforcement officers in schools often become involved in noncriminal matters, jeopardizing students’ rights to be free of unwarranted ‘search and seizure’ in violation of the Fourth Amendment.”
Council Rep. Justin Farmer.
The report outlines a number of cases in which SROs have used disciplinary measures far out of the proportion of the incident that sparked them, including one case where a 4‑year-old was handcuffed for throwing a temper tantrum. According to one source quoted in the report, Black and Latino students are handcuffed in 34 percent of incidents while white students find metal around their wrists only 26 percent of the time.
Though Goeler said he has been pleased with Hamden’s SRO program, he did not express support for the expansion of the program to Hamden’s elementary schools.
“I think the real need at the elementary level is more around therapeutic supports,” he said. He said Hamden’s schools need staff who are trained to provide support to students who have experienced trauma and are socially and emotionally ill-equipped to handle the school day.
Pope agreed that the focus should be on addressing student needs with resources other than police officers. “I think [the mayor’s] intentions are to make the kids in our schools safe. I have that same goal. I just disagree with the best way to get there,” she said.
Superintendent Jody Goeler.
Goeler and BOE Chair Chris Daur said they had not discussed expanding the SRO program to the elementary schools either amongst themselves or with the mayor before last week’s budget presentation.
Daur said he would want to discuss the issue in detail with the board and with Goeler before forming an opinion about the change.
Though SROs are most common in middle and high schools, they do also exist in elementary schools. When Goeler served in District 14, he said, both district elementary schools had SROs.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2015 – 2016 school year, 30 percent of public primary schools in the US had school resource officers.
Yet multiple council members have said they did not think Hamden will be joining that 30 percent. And despite the best intentions of the mayor’s office, many are skeptical that the SROs will do more good than harm.
“I think that this is a way to police students in the school community,” said At-Large Rep. Lauren Garrett, who serves as chair of the council’s Education Committee. “It results in more harsh and more frequent cases of discipline for students of color and students with disabilities.”
Mayor’s Full Statement
“I recommended two new School Resource Officers (SRO), to expand upon the successful High School and Middle School SRO program. SRO’s can be very positive forces for good in our schools, serving as informal counselors and mentors, educating students on dangers from internet to guns, helping prevent violence big and small and serving when needed as law enforcement. It takes the right officer to do this effectively, one with the proper compassion, demeanor and training. Having these officers present in our buildings also has the potential of deterring the worst from occurring, something that I really wish we didn’t have to think about – but we most certainly do.
“We live in a world where the safety measures we now need to consider are far more complex than previous generations.
“I really appreciative the group who started the petition drive for helping us all expand these school safety discussions even further. This is not a political issue, and shouldn’t be treated as one. This shouldn’t be a debate about choosing between School Resource Officers or additional Mental Health and Social Work professionals. This is not a time for a “this or that” discussion – it’s too important for that – we need both; done the right way, with the right people, with the right training.
“Let’s have meaningful discussions, with the school and law enforcement professionals, with parents and social workers, with teachers and students, those with the experience to answer the questions and those with the ability to listen to concerns thoughtfully. This is what local government is all about. My Office will be organizing these community conversations in partnership with key community stakeholders – what could be more important?”