City Of Claremont: City Council Approves Recommendations To Reimagine Student Safety

Press release from the City of Claremont:

07/15/2021

 At their Tuesday, July 13 meeting, the Claremont City Council unanimously approved a series of recommendations to reimagine student safety in Claremont’s schools.

The Police Commission’s recommendations include the formation of a working group to redesign the school safety program currently provided by the School Resource Officer (SRO), a position jointly funded by the City and the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD). This process will be undertaken by a working group appointed by Mayor Jennifer Stark, consisting of community stakeholders, including representatives from the City and CUSD, students, parents and community leaders.

If the redesign of school safety programs by the working group includes a recommendation to remove the SRO from Claremont schools, the position will be reassigned to an appropriate lateral designation within the Police Department to ensure the Police Department staffing and service levels are not impacted.

It is anticipated that the working group will conclude their design of a program to meet the school safety and mental health needs of students, staff and the community by June 2022, with the implementation of the reimagined program the following July.

Additional recommendations approved by the City Council include collaboration with the school district for additional training for police, teachers and staff in enhancing de-escalation skills and behavior management, expanded student access to qualified mental health service providers, and a commitment by the City to provide updated reports to the Police Commission on SRO arrest data over the coming year.    

Student Safety Press Release

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This press release was produced by the City of Claremont. The views expressed here are the author’s own.