School Resource Officers: The Bullies in Blue

School Resource Officers: The Bullies in Blue

“Few greater dangers face our children today than the police we’re putting in their schools…”

“I’m here to keep you safe…”

Strange smells started coming out of the vents.  Lights began to flash.  Everyone ran to the exits.  Sounds bombarded our ears.  The evacuation was anything but orderly.  Nobody could breath.  Before the day was out, dozens of students received emergency treatment…some of them (especially those with compromised lungs/immune systems in the first place) suffered permanent injuries.

Prior (to the gassing), our School Resource Officer (SRO) had responded to reports of a suspended student in the cafeteria.  Instead of waiting for help to deal with the situation, the officer chased the student around the cafeteria.  Eventually, the officer tripped and fell.  Afraid that the student was going to get away, the officer tried to spray him with pepper spray.  Instead of hitting the student (who actually got away), the officer sprayed pepper spray directly into a fan in the school’s ventilation system (which both intensified it and spread it).

The entire chaos happened because the officer couldn’t aim pepper spray (and perhaps anything else)…which is probably why they had him working in our school in the first place. After the incident (gassing an entire school of children), the officer was so embarrassed that he never came back.

Don’t worry…another clown took his place.

Let’s face it…people don’t become cops to be hall monitors.

This childhood event from my former school is not an isolated occurrence.  Innocent students are regularly injured by SROs. When they think about school shootings…everybody wants officers in schools…however…they don’t take the time to consider the collateral damage.

“Why is there a mean man with a gun standing outside my school?”

That was the question posed to me by my son (and I’m sure by countless other children).  He didn’t see the officer at his school as anything but a threat.  “A man with a gun…”  I didn’t know what to say…but deep in my heart in knew the truth…guns/violence always invite more guns/violence.

The SRO slapped a child.

The SRO molested a child.

The SRO slammed at a child.

The SRO punched a child.

The headlines of SRO misdeeds are widely accessible with a simple Google search.

Look for your self.

With so many incidences of police brutality…  Do we really want our kids to see officers as their friends?  With so much gun violence…  Do we really want our kids to become comfortable with guns?  With so many possible ramifications…  Do we really want our children treated like criminals?

Really?

It seems too great of a cost to me.

What happens if the officer becomes violent/aggressive with the kids?  Who is there to stop them?  Hell…they might be the one who is going to shoot the school up next…and we are giving them full access to the place.

and…  Even if you think my arguments are silly, think about this…the shittiest officers are going to be working with your children…i.e. they ain’t pulling people off of the SWAT team to sit on their asses at the local school.  Go and interact with some of these officers…you will leave scared that they might accidently shoot you as you walk back out to your car.

furthermore… How can we end bullying when we invite into our schools the biggest bullies around…those in blue? Surely…our reaction to the constant images of police brutality shouldn’t be to send the brutalizers to hang out with our kids?!?!

lastly…  Our children (especially those who are marginalized and oppressed) are being jailed at an alarming rate.  The school to prison pipeline begins with your SRO.

Is it just me…or is this shit not obvious?

School is no place for the police…period.

Abolish SROs!

Amen.