Superintendent Alex Marrero mentioned Wednesday that he’ll place armed officers in Denver’s complete excessive colleges following the taking pictures at East Excessive even if doing so “possible violates” Board of Schooling coverage, in response to a letter he despatched to board members.
“Nonetheless, I can now not stand on the sidelines,” Marrero wrote within the letter to the college board. “I’m prepared to just accept the results of my actions.”
The choice to have armed police in metropolis colleges comes after East college students and oldsters referred to as for tighter safety measures following the deadly taking pictures of a 16-year-old pupil in February and on the heels of a second taking pictures Wednesday through which two directors had been injured.
Two armed officers from the Denver Police Division shall be stationed at East throughout college hours for the remainder of the educational 12 months. Marrero can be “committing” to have an armed officer at every complete highschool and to have conversations with principals “to grasp their persevering with want and want for this useful resource,” in response to his letter.
The varsity board overseeing Colorado’s largest district voted in 2020 to take away the Denver Police Division’s useful resource officers following the protests over the homicide of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Members have argued that cops in colleges are dangerous to college students of coloration and play a job within the school-to-prison pipeline.
The district has confronted calls to carry police again into colleges since February after a pupil was shot whereas sitting in his automobile exterior of the college. Luis Garcia, a junior, died from his accidents earlier this month.
College students have additionally advocated for extra gun laws and mentioned they need the district to search out different methods to enhance security, equivalent to investing in group packages or including metallic detectors.
On Wednesday, a second taking pictures occurred — this time inside the college — as two directors had been wounded by a pupil whereas performing a day by day search of the teenager for weapons.
“The Board of Schooling helps the choice of Superintendent Marrero to work in partnership with native regulation enforcement to create safer studying areas throughout Denver Public Faculties for the rest of this college 12 months,” the college board mentioned in a press release Wednesday. “As well as, we are going to proceed to work collaboratively with our group companions together with regulation enforcement and our native and state legislature to make our group safer.”
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, in a press release Wednesday night, mentioned he agreed with Marrero that “the security of scholars and the general public require deployment of cops assigned to the highschool for the rest of the college 12 months.”
He added that he directed Denver police Chief Ron Thomas “to assist this effort and deploy our officers accordingly in coordination with the college district.”
DPS board President Xochitl “Sochi” Gaytan mentioned the college board is planning to carry a information convention Thursday. She didn’t reply on to questions on the place members stand on armed police in colleges.
The board canceled its common Thursday board assembly, changing it with a particular assembly to debate safety preparations. No less than a part of Thursday’s assembly will happen in closed session, in response to the agenda.
The closed session was requested by Marrero. The board’s coverage on not staffing colleges with useful resource officers or armed safety conflicts with its coverage on security, the superintendent wrote in his letter.
The security coverage states: “In mild of the rise in gun violence in our communities, which poses a risk to the security of our colleges, the district will collaborate with native regulation enforcement, group companions, advocacy organizations and faculty communities to proactively mitigate inside and exterior threats to security.”
Marrero wrote in his letter that, “I don’t imagine I can execute the board’s wishes as expressed” within the security coverage, whereas a coverage barring armed safety and the decision eradicating useful resource officers from colleges stay in place.
“It’s important we discover frequent floor and guarantee our college students and workers are secure and discover alignment of our current values,” he mentioned.
Up to date 8 p.m. March 22, 2023 This story has been up to date to make clear that Superintendent Alex Marrero mentioned he plans to place armed officers within the district’s complete excessive colleges.
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