ASHBURN, VA - The Superintendant of the Loudoun County Public Schools, Aaron Spence, recommended against placing School Resource Officers (SROs) in all 62 of the district's elementary schools, according to Wednesday reports. The controversial Tuesday morning announcement came despite adding security to schools being one of the most prominent recommendations of a Blue Ribbon Panel conducted in 2023.
As reported by DC News Now, the suggestion by the Panel, along with ten others, came with the endorsement of Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, who suggested that the elementary schools should have SROs just like area secondary schools.
“If you had some sort of a major issue going on at the school, our deputies can immediately get the help that they need,” Sheriff Chapman said. “So, from a safety standpoint, it’s extremely important that we that we have school resource officers as opposed to unarmed security guards.”
Chapman told WJLA-TV, "The study that came out, the Blue-Ribbon study, talked specifically about the importance of security at all schools to include elementary schools, and the need for additional security personnel. The question is how do you staff that? For us, it makes sense to staff it with professionally trained certified law enforcement people in the sheriff’s office. We act as mentors with the kids. They get to know us. They don't look at us as the enemy. They look at us as a friend.
"Plus, we're there and we can be there should we have an act of violence and we have access to the entire emergency management system. And if you were to staff the schools with people less than that, not certified law enforcement professionals that are connected to the entire emergency response system, if you did have a chaotic situation, who knows where it would go, so that would be the problem. So I think it's important that we have all of our schools, all of our children protected and that the best way to do that is with sworn deputies.”
Speaking with The Washington Post, Spence told reporters, “It’s a conversation around time and resource. It is not an unusual position to wonder whether or not SROs are needed in our elementary schools.”
Sheriff Chapman expressed his disappointment and urged more school board discussion on the topic adding that unarmed security guards will not bring the same benefits and afford the same protection that SRO's would.
In a Monday email to Spence obtained by The Post, Chapman wrote, “SROs are not simply a uniform presence at schools but are highly trained professionals who provide significantly more than basic safety. They are at the core of community policing because they are embedded with the highest concentration of people on any given school day — and where the consequences of an act of violence are the greatest.
“I think it's a mistake for him to take that off the table, so quickly. I think it really deserves public discussion."
Loudoun County Public Schools gained national attention in 2023 amidst controversy over the district's transgender bathroom policy following a 2021 incident that saw a female student sexually assaulted by an alleged transgender attacker, compounded by allegations for a coverup as well as a resulting lawsuit.
Fox 5 DC reported that opinions among parents are mixed. "I'm all in favor of having an armed police officer I think for the security of my girls. I'd appreciate it if they had one there," one mother said.
Spence told reporters that he isn't locked into his recommendation and if school board members want to revisit the issue, he is open to it.
As reported by DC News Now, the suggestion by the Panel, along with ten others, came with the endorsement of Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, who suggested that the elementary schools should have SROs just like area secondary schools.
“If you had some sort of a major issue going on at the school, our deputies can immediately get the help that they need,” Sheriff Chapman said. “So, from a safety standpoint, it’s extremely important that we that we have school resource officers as opposed to unarmed security guards.”
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman says Loudoun County Superintendent Aaron Spence is making a mistake by not recommending SROs in all elementary schools.
— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) June 13, 2024
Story: https://t.co/BqjOfU10ho pic.twitter.com/u9JFcYwWU4
Chapman told WJLA-TV, "The study that came out, the Blue-Ribbon study, talked specifically about the importance of security at all schools to include elementary schools, and the need for additional security personnel. The question is how do you staff that? For us, it makes sense to staff it with professionally trained certified law enforcement people in the sheriff’s office. We act as mentors with the kids. They get to know us. They don't look at us as the enemy. They look at us as a friend.
"Plus, we're there and we can be there should we have an act of violence and we have access to the entire emergency management system. And if you were to staff the schools with people less than that, not certified law enforcement professionals that are connected to the entire emergency response system, if you did have a chaotic situation, who knows where it would go, so that would be the problem. So I think it's important that we have all of our schools, all of our children protected and that the best way to do that is with sworn deputies.”
Speaking with The Washington Post, Spence told reporters, “It’s a conversation around time and resource. It is not an unusual position to wonder whether or not SROs are needed in our elementary schools.”
Sheriff Chapman expressed his disappointment and urged more school board discussion on the topic adding that unarmed security guards will not bring the same benefits and afford the same protection that SRO's would.
In a Monday email to Spence obtained by The Post, Chapman wrote, “SROs are not simply a uniform presence at schools but are highly trained professionals who provide significantly more than basic safety. They are at the core of community policing because they are embedded with the highest concentration of people on any given school day — and where the consequences of an act of violence are the greatest.
“I think it's a mistake for him to take that off the table, so quickly. I think it really deserves public discussion."
Loudoun County Public Schools gained national attention in 2023 amidst controversy over the district's transgender bathroom policy following a 2021 incident that saw a female student sexually assaulted by an alleged transgender attacker, compounded by allegations for a coverup as well as a resulting lawsuit.
Fox 5 DC reported that opinions among parents are mixed. "I'm all in favor of having an armed police officer I think for the security of my girls. I'd appreciate it if they had one there," one mother said.
Spence told reporters that he isn't locked into his recommendation and if school board members want to revisit the issue, he is open to it.
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Comments
2024-06-16T14:19-0400 | Comment by: Greg
This person should be relieved of duty. Why not protect children & staff?
2024-06-16T17:01-0400 | Comment by: Paul
Are SRO's value truly the question? Or should we have a very close look at the books?
2024-06-16T17:25-0400 | Comment by: Bruce
Remind the superintendent that if any children are injured because of his refusal to allow SROs, he will be liable for both criminal or Civil penalties.
2024-06-17T10:27-0400 | Comment by: Tim
I'm in a district of about 35000 students with 41 schools and we have Unarmed Campus Security Staff in every school as well as SRO's in our HS and MS. Having an SRO in ES would be nice but the cost is prohibitive. We hire retired LEO's and Correctional Officers and they do a Great Job. The call to our ES for Law Enforcement duties are minimal but I understand that it only takes one gunman to change that.
2024-06-17T16:10-0400 | Comment by: Raconteur
Implement the armed teachers and staff and the costs are less, with more armed responders on site. The question left unasked is: how many firearm incidents have there been at the schools with armed teachers/staff? Nada, zero, none. But they'll come up with the most asinine reasons not to have it. Reasons that have already been disproved.
2024-06-17T17:39-0400 | Comment by: Rick
Superintendent sounds like the people need to drag him from his office and throw him into the street where he belongs. The parents need to make THEIR desires heard and put someone in the office that shares their concerns.