Salinas school district discusses bringing police officers to elementary schools

The Alisal Union School District Board discussed the possibility of bringing four school resource officers into the district’s elementary school.

Several years ago, the Department of Justice awarded the Salinas Police Department $3.4 million to put sro’s into local schools. With a looming deadline of August 30, if police don’t use it, they will lose it.

Top brass originally approached Salinas Union High School District, where they “did not receive a very warm reception,” so now they are making the same offer to Alisal Union School District.

Some people have voiced concern about the presence of officers in schools, but the police say they want their presence to be a resource to students.

“The main concern is that we’re going to go in and arrest kids, and put them in jail and get their criminal history started. That is not our intent. We do not want to be the disciplinarians, as many are saying this is an issue. This is not our intent. Our intent is to go in and build a relationship with kids, try to mend that ‘us against them’ type of mentality,” said Deputy Chief Dave Shaw of the Salinas Police.

Alma Cervantes of Building Healthy Communities is not keen on the idea of officers being on school grounds.

“I think that a school environment should be a climate for a student to have a positive and safe experience throughout their education. We feel that that officers don’t have that background or role to actually have that relationship in schools. That should be the role of the teachers, counselors, social workers,” said Cervantes.

Salinas Police Chief Adele Frese was at the Wednesday board meeting. She says many who are against having officers in schools are basing it off of past programs that foucused on a zero tolereance policy, one she says is in the past.

“We want to be at a school campus to help nurture the students, help provide a safe line environment and to help develop relationships with young people so that we reduce their fear of cops,” Chief Frese said.

One issue brought up at the meeting was what kind of an impact sro’s would have on undocumented students and parents.

“The Salinas Police Department does not enforce immigration,” Frese said. “It is the job of the federal agents to do so, it is not our place whatsoever.”

Dr. Hector Rico, Superintendent of the Alisal Union School District, also has concerns about having officers at schools. However, Rico also said that if the implementation of the program putting officers in schools was done well at the elementary school level, it could be a case of a village raising a child.

“It’s much more of a challenge [introducing school resource officers into middle and high schools] because kids, some have already made up their mind, some unfortunately have already received negative influences in their lives. And so by starting at elementary, it’s a whole different model. It’s a preventative model, a proactive model where [school resource officers are] working with us collaboratively to really bring in programs and support and systems that speak to the whole child, the social-emotional needs,” said Rico.

If the Board decides to pursue introducing school resource officers into schools, it could be discussed at the board’s next meeting on August 9.