As communities across the country grapple with racial injustice and a broken criminal justice system that is fed by a school-to-prison pipeline, leaders are taking a closer look at the impact of school police or resource officers. More and more school districts are taking bold action by removing police officers from school campuses. Gilroy Unified School District should take the same bold action, remove school resource officers and invest additional resources in services that support the educational and social-emotional development of students.
We understand that many parents and even some educators are concerned about the removal of officers from school campuses. Many feel safer having officers on campus. We often make or want to make decisions based on how we feel. As leaders, however, we must consider the facts and make decisions that are grounded in doing what leads to the best outcomes.
The truth is that there have been no facts or findings presented that show a school officer will be able to maintain a safe and secure campus for both students and staff. According to the WestEd Justice & Prevention Research Center, a review of 40 years of school policing showed that police on campus did not improve school safety outcomes. School police also didn’t prevent school violence, a report by the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights states. These are the two primary reasons many will cite for having officers on campus. And yet the data shows these reasons are not backed by facts.
We do however see officers having a negative impact on students of color and those with disabilities. The ACLU has looked into arrests and referral data for school campuses with officers. Every year, students of color and those with disabilities are referred and arrested at disproportionate rates. This fuels the school-to-prison pipeline where youth of color make up a disproportionate number of those incarcerated. Unfortunately, none of this is surprising to us. We see it every day.
It is also not surprising for the students and families of color. Studies show that schools with officers suspend or expel Black students at a higher rate. Students of color also feel less safe on campuses with officers and have been telling us for some time now. They have had to endure years of trauma and victimization that are often at the root of crime later on in life.
Rather than continue to invest in officers on campus, school districts can invest in counselors, mental health staff, teachers or other wrap-around services. In the 2015-2016 school year, schools serving 1.6 million students had an officer on campus but no counselor, according to the ACLU. It may feel good to tell the public that we have an officer at both Gilroy High School and Christopher High School; but at the shared annual cost of $483,382.86, it is not hard to imagine how that money can be invested to better serve students.
If we are serious about ending the school-to-prison pipeline, promoting racial justice and building healthier communities, Gilroy and school districts across Santa Clara County need to face the facts and move officers out of school campuses. Only then can schools focus on providing the resources that allow students to flourish.
Zach Hilton is a Gilroy City Council member. Sajid A. Khan is a public defender in San Jose and a candidate for Santa Clara County District Attorney.
