DENVER — Denver Public Schools administrators told board members that as many as four out of every five students surveyed wanted armed Denver Police officers back on campuses, but the numbers don't tell the whole story.
In comments attached to the survey results, students voiced concerns about existing safety issues in their schools and worries about the return of school resource officers (SRO).
After more than three hours of discussion last Thursday, the school board approved the return of SROs in a 4-3 vote. The superintendent will work with DPD to create a plan to bring back the officers. The current draft of the DPS safety plan calls for armed officers in all schools with grades 6-12.
"I want to be able to go to school and be safe and ain't got to worry about getting shot," wrote one student at North High School in favor of the move. Another opposed to SROs said, "We should push for long-term solutions that don't involve getting more guns involved."
At other schools, the messages were also mixed. At Dr. Martin Luther King Early College, one student said bringing back SROs will "make things feel more like a jail."
Another student who voted in favor of SROs said "I think just knowing that we have an SRO could be comforting to know that they are on our school grounds in case anything were to happen."
At John F. Kennedy High School, a student said the campus needs armed police officers because: "To be completely honest, I don't feel safe at school."
Another JFK student said "Guns and education do not mix; we need more tools of peace, solace, and creative work rather than tools of violence and escalation."
Elizabeth Burciaga, who is a lead organizer at the advocacy group Movimiento Poder, opposes returning SROs to the classroom. "We all students to feel safe," she said. "A lot of experiences are being ignored."
Only about 20 percent of students actually participated in this survey -- and students of color were underrepresented in previous surveys, Burciaga pointed out.
"Some maybe didn’t care to be honest and some maybe were afraid to speak their truth for the fear of retaliation," she said.
Regardless, with the board's decision already made, the 1-in-5 students who voted against armed officers in schools will still see them this fall -- and that may mean they won't feel as safe, Burciaga said.
The final version of the DPS safety plan is due to be released June 30.
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