Improper Student Arrests Place Role of School Resource Officers Under Scrutiny
After a video surfaced of a School Resource Officer using significant force to detain a student, the role of law enforcement in schools is in question.
Landwebs
Incidents like one in 2022 where a Tennessee high school student was forcefully detained, pulled by his hair, pepper sprayed, shoved into bleachers and ultimately charged after he was confronted for not participating in a gym class activity might shape future discussions on the role of school resources officers (SROs). A New York Times investigation published Tuesday examines the role police play in schools and when things go wrong. SROs are now present in an estimated 70 percent of high schools nationwide. Hamilton County, where the incident occurred, increased the number of SROs in their schools after the Uvlualde shooting.
School resource officers are only meant to intervene if a student breaks a law or is a threat to themselves or others but, like in the case of Sledge, sometimes officers step over the line between school safety and school discipline. Watch the full report here.
