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On Thursday, the Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously to remove school resource officers from Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Schools must remove uniformed police officers before the start of the next school year.
CPS students gathered outside CPS headquarters to rally against keeping officers in schools ahead of the vote.
Former CPS student Essence Jade told WGN, “We are here again today to demand the removal of student resource officers and to demand investment in restorative justice practices and, overall, more sustainable practices that lead to better learning for students. Support the environment.”
“We want to get the police out of the school building so we can get the programs we need,” said Hyde Park Academy student Makayla Acevedo.
This decision was criticized by several members of the city council.
NBC Chicago reports:
“I think it's a reckless idea, it's still very important to me to speak out against it,” said 38th Ward Ald. Nicholas Sposato said.
Other City Council members argued that the decision whether to retain school resource officers should ultimately be left up to individual schools.
“It's not necessary for every school to have these, but some schools do require them,” said 24th Ward Ald. Monique Scott said.
16th Ward Ald. Stephanie Coleman expressed similar sentiments.
“I urge this board to give principals the option to have a safety resource officer,” Coleman said.
The board says nearly $10 million budgeted for officers can now be redirected to programs that take a 'holistic' approach to school safety.
Watch:
Retired Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Jean Roy shared on X, “I want to level out that there are a number of CPS excessive colleges in my district. Faculty officers weren’t repressive figures with bullying and extreme policing. Quite the opposite, they volunteered for the work and have become actively concerned within the colleges and youngsters they served and guarded. At every college he constructed relationships with the group, college students and school alike and really developed details about gang conflicts that prevented a number of shootings. At one other college, an officer expressed a need to function the soccer coach, whereas his companion expressed a need to function the wrestling coach.
“There must be safety in excessive colleges, regardless of the place in America they’re situated. Magnetometers are necessary for violence prevention, from preserving weapons out of colleges. However bear in mind, they’re solely pretty much as good because the operators and should be plugged in to work.
“And do you actually need to entrust the protection of your youngsters to a corporation that may't even hold monitor of laptop computer computer systems?”
“Take politics and progressive stances out of faculty security packages and concentrate on the protection of scholars and employees.”
That is being picked up from my publish on one other discussion board relating to the Chicago Board of Schooling's mistaken resolution to take away CPD college useful resource officers (college patrol) from CPS excessive colleges.
I want to level out that there are a number of CPS excessive colleges in my district. ,
– Gene Roy (@GeneRoyChicago) 23 February 2024