by Eve Schlegel ‘20

Some activists, parents, and others are currently disputing new legislation proposed by the county board that expands the School Resource Officer Program, which adds more police officers to schools. According to a WTOP article, many speakers opposed to this legislation gave their opinions to county council members at a council meeting on January 21.

“For many parents, the presence of a school resource officer undermines the academic environment,” said the president of Montgomery County’s NAACP chapter, Linda Plummer.

“This would have disastrous consequences for populations already disproportionately subjected to police violence,” added Laurel Hoa, who spoke at the meeting.

Councilwoman Nancy Navarro, the chief sponsor of the bill, responded to such concerns by stating that the bill would require officers to “ensure cultural competency” and “provide adequate training in de-escalation tactics.” 

“Montgomery County has changed, and we, as legislators, have a responsibility to guide our institutions to better reflect who we are as a community,” said Navarro.

Other people argued that legislators should wait until they receive some feedback from the newly established police advisory commission. This commission would be tasked with creating the specific policies that the police department would be required to follow. 

At the meeting on January 21, Steven Lapham claimed the bill was rushed. “The new police advisory commission has not yet even had time to constitute itself,” he said.

One argument against this legislation is not the addition of police officers to the schools, but instead how it will impact the police department. The department would have to adjust its resources to accommodate more police officers in schools.