Posted on 06/07/2020 7:15:13 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s decision to pull police officers from area high schools ranks as a relatively modest change on the long list of reforms needed to build public confidence in Portland Police. While the removal of school resource officers will affect three Portland-area school districts, it doesn’t address criticisms over police bias and lack of accountability that black Portlanders have highlighted for decades.
It shows that the objections students lodged more than a year ago with the Portland School Board over schools’ relationship with Police are gaining traction today. And the decision, announced as protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis continue daily, demonstrates that elected leaders are committed to prioritize the views of black Portlanders in how they use public dollars and resources to root out inequities.
The move may worry those who fear the next school shooting and how to contain it. After all, Oregon is no stranger to such violence with student shootings at Thurston High School in 1998; Reynolds High School in 2014 and Umpqua Community College in 2015.
Data from the city reinforce that the same racial dynamic underpinning disproportionate arrests of black Portlanders plays out in schools – 55% of the 20 arrests made by school resource officers in the 2017-2018 fiscal year were of black individuals under the age of 21. PPS’ student population is only 8.7% black. The value of spending $1.6 million on having officers patrol schools has been questioned not just by students but by the city budget.
The next steps will be harder, not just because they require delving into institutional bias and union contracts amid a pandemic-caused recession, but also because they require partnerships across the community over a sustained period of time. With the decision to pull school resource officers, the journey has started.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Removing children from public schools would actually be the first step in long road to reform....
The idea of dragging six year old kids to jail in handcuffs by cops because they were acting out is not only horrendous but stupid.
And what happens when teachers are assaulted, and students are assaulted, and students bring guns and attack schools?
Can’t wait to hear what the teachers have to say about their safety from the hoodlums in their classrooms.
Bingo!
Interesting how some kids who were failing in school became a bit smarter while having to be home schooled during the virus lock down says something.
“..55% of the 20 arrests made by school resource officers in the 2017-2018 fiscal year were of black individuals under the age of 21. PPS’ student population is only 8.7% black.”
Well, gee, the writer here might as well be saying that most rainstorms involve clouds in the sky. If these kids that are being arrested, for what we can assume is for unacceptable and unruly behaviour, it really is not going to matter what race, colour, or creed they are of.
Perhaps it’s the manner in which liberal policies use police. They can’t have it both ways. They are true extremists
I agree with this. If that was the way things were done when I was in elementary school, I would have had a rap sheet and be on parole prior to high school.
Removing liberals from schools is the first step to reform.
Just don’t reopen the schools. Problem solved.
The Author has many false assumptions in the article.
Black people are arrested more, because they commit more crimes. Not because the police are biased.
Black people committed less crimes when the federal government gave them less money, and did not subsidize single mothers.
It's letting the inmates run the asylum.
It is quickly becoming obvious to everyone that Democrats are working to redefine racism as “expecting blacks to act like civilized people”.
More social good would be accomplished if that high school was defunded and rethought rather than defunding the police.
No cops in schools means more school shootings which will lead to more gun laws. Perfect (if you’re a Democrat).
there will be the typical call to end the Second Amendment.
Seems like a stupid idea to remove police protection in situations where it might be needed. I am not understanding what possible connection this would have to do with the killing of Geo. Floyd. Totally different situation. Guess this is not the first time some unwise decisions were made in Oregon.
How many of them were black and older than 21?
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