On March 23 I attended a meeting with the Central Bucks Regional Police Commission.
Administration from Central Bucks School District presented about the hiring of a school resource officer (SRO) for Central Bucks West. A SRO is a police officer employed by the school district and working in the school. The school district would pay the salary and benefits for the officer. I found the presentation to be very one-sided in favor of the SRO.
I did some research on my own and found this from the conclusion of the Brookings AEI report:
“The presence of law enforcement in American schools during an era of rapidly declining juvenile crime diverts precious resources from prevention and support services, increases the likelihood of deeper engagement in the justice system, and exacerbates existing racial disparities. While packaged as a form of community policing, the reality is that law enforcement in school results in more punitive responses versus promoting a safe learning environment by building trust and relationships. There will continue to be a need for police to respond to crime in schools, but that can be done in the same manner police respond to crime in communities. The presence of law enforcement officers in school as a preventative measure too often runs the risk of criminal responses to delinquent behavior that administrators should handle.”
And from the Journal of American Medical Association, “There is no association between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence in mass shootings from 1980 to 2019. A 2021 study by the University at Albany and RAND said school resource officers do not prevent school shootings or gun-related incidents.”
Take a look at the fact-based research into the impact and implications of this important decision.
Amy McGahran lives in Doylestown Township.
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