From defund school police to refund
Alexandria school board candidate Ish Boyle says defund never should have happened
In the wee hours Wednesday morning, the Alexandria (VA) City Council voted to reinstate School Resource Officers (SROs) at the city’s public schools. That’s a good thing and needed reversal of a wrong-headed vote made months ago in the heat of Defund the Police fervor. Violent student confrontations followed.
This never should have happened, school board candidate Ish Boyle told me.
You can hear him speak on the issue for yourself.
https://www.facebook.com/100068307080340/videos/3515423711929715/?t=0
It’s not just parents who wanted SROs, Boyle noted, but principals.
“They did this with no data, no analysis and no discussion” said Boyle. His campaign web site is filled with stories about the violence that has plagued the schools. And while SROs can’t stop all crime, they can de-escalate tense campuses. Not a bad thing when MS 13 is a presence in your town.
Alexandria is one of many Virginia cities where bad politics are making for angry parents — an issue that could swing the governor’s race.
Here’s a news report that preceded this week’s vote with video of students pummeling and kicking each other.
https://wjla.com/features/i-team/shocking-video-of-alexandria-school-violence-reignites-conversation-about-school-resource-officers
The new plan, the Washington Post reported,
will also explore future, long-term options, including a “school safety coach” model pioneered by the city of Charlottesville. That initiative would send unarmed, trained adults to prevent and de-escalate hallway fights and other conflicts, lawmakers said.
Those who voted not to refund school police, emphasized that Alexandria would be looking to establish “a new path forward.”
Be vigilant, voters. You’ve been warned that some electeds will pounce at the chance to defund the SRO program when the public isn’t absorbed with the issue.
Any doubts? Consider this measure, signed by Gov. Ralph Northam, that allows districts not report sexual battery and other crimes committed on campus — after allegations that a Loudoun County 15-year-old male student wearing a skirt sexually assaulted a girl in a public bathroom.
Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly voted for — and Governor Ralph Northam signed — a law allowing schools to refrain from reporting instances of sexual battery, stalking, violation of a protective order, and violent threats occurring on school property in 2020.
Debra J. Saunders is a fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership. Contact her at dsaunders@discovery.org.
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In response to a comment, I added language about Alexandria being one of many Virginia cities where school boards are making bad choices.