This school year is much different from previous years, not only due to the pandemic and returning to in-person school after 18 months. On March 16, 2021, Executive Marc Elrich removed SRO police officers from all Montgomery County Public Schools high schools before the new school year started.
Though it has been nearly a month since students have been back at school, MCPS is not the only district in the country removing School Resource Officers (SROs) from their high school campuses. SROs are law enforcement officials responsible for preventing crime at schools and ensuring that students are safe. In theory, this does not sound bad: police officers making sure schools are a safe learning environment. However, within the last year, we have witnessed the reality of policing in this country with the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McLain, and many other unarmed African-Americans killed at the hands of police officers. Despite the counterarguments that these unarmed individuals were doing something wrong or it was “a few bad apples,” these deaths rocked the country, especially the death of George Floyd. The aftermath of George Floyd’s death not only affected people within our county and our country but around the world. There have been countless protests, and the Black Lives Matter movement has impacted millions around the globe. Government officials have attempted to start the process of police reform in America.
Police issues are not an uncommon issue for black and brown people in this country.
With all rise in attention to police brutality, black and brown students and staff in MCPS felt more afraid of the police, leading the Board of Education in MCPS to rethink having police officers at school.
Not only did students and student advocacy groups push for change, but so did members of the County Council. Specifically, councilmember Craig Rice grew up in Montgomery County. In the past, Rice agreed that police officers who have shot unarmed, mainly black men, were protecting themselves. It was not till the death of George Floyd that Rice realized how flawed his previous mindset was. In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, Rice could be seen protesting alongside student advocacy groups. Rice and his colleagues wanted to do more due to this tragic loss and make MCPS safe for students of all backgrounds.
Montgomery County is one of the largest counties within Maryland, with numerous people from different economic and cultural backgrounds in MCPS high schools. However, different parts of the county are more diverse than others. According to the U.S. Census, 42% of the people in Montgomery County are White non-Latinos. Schools such as Winston Churchill High School located in Potomac have a student body that is 49% White, 29% Asian, 9% Black/African American, 8% Hispanic, and 5.1% other. In contrast, schools such as John F Kennedy High school, located in Silver Spring, are 60% Hispanic, 26% Black/ African American, 7% Asian, 5% White, and 2.2% other. These statistics are surprising: two schools are less than 30 minutes apart, yet their student populations are the complete opposite of each other. MCPS board officials realized how troublesome policing was in the U.S., specifically within their districts.: students who are black and brown struggle to feel safe around law enforcement.
Even though it may sound far-fetched, in other countries, it was not uncommon for SROs to specifically target black and brown students due to racial biases, especially during a year theBlack Lives Matter movement is receiving attention. Removal of SROswould ensures that MCPS schools would also be a safe and comfortable learning environment for all, primarily black and brown, students.
The overall goal of removing SROs from MCPS high schools was not solely to stand against injustice but to ensure students could be safe. School officers should not target students. Though police brutality is not a new concept to America, we can attempt to create change by encouraging larger parties to change their policies. Taking steps to address police brutality, such as the removal of SROs, is actual progress and opens up discussion on how police brutality affects Montgomery County citizens.
Written by Maru Amtataw of John F. Kennedy High School.
Photo courtesy by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School