FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Before Tuesday’s Fayetteville City Council vote, there was plenty of public comment for and against adding more school resource officers (SROs) to Fayetteville Public Schools.
"They run to the gunfire," said Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds speaking about his officers. "They don’t hide. They will lay their lives down for you."
Reynolds pleaded with the Fayetteville City Council on Aug. 16 to make a budget adjustment to add more SROs to Fayetteville Schools for protection.
But Monique Jones, a parent to students in the school district, spoke against adding more officers in schools at the meeting.
"SROs impact Black and Brown children, especially with disabilities at a disproportional rate," Jones said.
Jones says what Reynolds is asking for will do more harm than good. The council voted on the proposed budget adjustment to add one school resource officer this year and two additional officers every year until every Fayetteville public school has a full-time officer on-site.
“So that they can come to school, be able to learn without worrying about what’s going to happen,” said John L. Colbert, the Fayetteville Public Schools superintendent.
He hopes to get an SRO at each middle school first, then at each elementary.
“This is a very small piece of safety and making sure all the kids are safe and comfortable at school,” he said.
Jones says she thinks it will do the opposite.
“My heart is heavy because I’m a mother of seven Black children, “Jones said. “My heart is heavy because I’m a [grand]mother of eight Black and mixed grandchildren and people continue to advocate for school resource officers in schools."
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