Denver Public Schools Board of Education to consider proposals about SROs
Some members of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education are offering their own ideas when it comes to how School Resource Officers are used in the district.
The board will have a chance to discuss two different proposals at a work session on Thursday, one of which would reintroduce SROs with some stipulations and the other would somewhat reimagine the position.
After a semester disrupted by violence, improving safety is a top priority for Denver Public Schools. But what that looks like remains to be seen.
Auon'tai Anderson, and Scott Esserman shared a new policy proposal on Wednesday that they created with Michelle Quattlebaum. It includes creating Community Resource Officers (CROs), who are assigned to regions rather than specific schools.
If approved by the board, the CROs would only respond when necessary, as determined by a Memorandum of Understanding between DPS and Denver police and document every encounter.
They would also be funded from outside sources and be prohibited from conducting searches on students without probable cause.
"School leaders shouldn't just be willy-nilly calling a CRO to support them," Anderson said. "It should only be when the discipline matrix allows it to happen."
At the same time, a proposal by board member, Scott Baldermann, would approach the situation differently. He's calling for new policies that establish when SROs are necessary on school property.
Under his Baldermann's proposal, SROs could be on campus for things such as safety, de-escalation and crime deterrence, but not discipline.
They must also wear "soft" uniforms, and provide a quarterly report of tickets and arrests, as well as be certified by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).
Both proposals come comes three years after the board voted to remove them from the district all together. Now, concerns over recent violence around the district have led to calls for their return.
Superintendent Alex Marrero has directed the board to make the final decision on these policies, according to Anderson.
"I am confident that we are going to be able to deliver a great resolution that meets in the center," Anderson said.
A representative from the East High School Parent Safety Advocacy Group, which meets weekly to discuss safety concerns and proposed changes, told CBS News Colorado the group is working on its own policy suggestion.
This includes ideas from both current proposals. The group will meet Thursday to finalize the draft document.
