Temporary School Resource Officer Program To Return In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — At a Tuesday meeting that ran into early Wednesday, Alexandria City Council voted 4-3 to reinstate a temporary school resource officer program at Alexandria City Public Schools.

City Council had eliminated funding for school resource officers in the fiscal year 2022 budget, with funding was later redirected to mental health positions. The latest vote by City Council restores the school resource officer program through the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Mayor Justin Wilson and Councilmembers Amy Jackson, John Chapman and Del Pepper voted for the school resource officer proposal while Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker as well as Councilmembers Mo Seifeldein and Canek Aguirre voted against.

The three opposed councilmembers, as well as Chapman, had supported eliminating the school resource officer funding during the last budget process. Chapman had changed his stance after releasing a Tuesday statement with the three opposed councilmembers that they would not support reinstating the school resource officer program, Alexandria Living Magazine reported. The statement offered an alternative plan to school resource officers for school safety, including police presence outside schools and funding school safety coaches.

As part of the vote to temporarily restore school resource officers, staff were asked to examine the cost of funding the four councilmembers' safety plan to ultimately replace the school resource officer program.

Chapman noted he envisions a future without armed officers in schools but was "flexible" to consider bringing back school resource officers until the alternative plan is developed.

The vote comes amidst recent incidents of violence in and around schools, leading school officials and some parents to call school resource officers to be returned. Among the incidents were the arrest of a student with a gun outside Alexandria City High School last week, prompting a school lockdown. At the Bradlee Shopping Center McDonald's near the high school, a juvenile was shot during a dispute on Sept. 21, and a fight happened at the McDonald's last Tuesday, as reported by WJLA.

ACPS Superintendent Gregory Hutchings Jr., School Board Chair Meagan Alderton and ACHS Principal Peter Balas testified in front of City Council for the return of school resource officers.

Hutchings said it is important to have both the mental health supports funded by council as well as the safety and security measures through the school resource officer program. The superintendent noted while school staff are equipped to handle fights in schools, they are not trained to respond to incidents involving guns or gangs.

"If our schools are deemed or even perceived unsafe, this impedes our ability to fulfill this mission, and we know that teaching and learning and leadership are thwarted when our students and staff are not provided with the optimal learning environment safety it has to continue to be the key component of an optimal learning environment," said Hutchings. "So I am here this evening as a staunch advocate for our students and our staff to request that the City council reinstate the school resource officer program immediately."

Hutchings expressed support for the latest memorandum of understanding with the Alexandria Police Department adopted in 2020. He said the MOU "clearly outlines" what school resource officers could and could not do.

After school officials testified, they fielded questions from councilmembers. Wilson expressed disappointment with how City Council handled the discussion, with what he called interrogation of school officials.

"I think this has been a horrific process from the beginning," Wilson said. "Regardless of your view on the issue, this is not the way we make the decisions up here. This is not the way we collaborate with another elected body. This is not the way we work with staff. This is not the way we work with our police department."

Despite school resource officers not being present at schools, Acting Police Chief Don Hayes told City Council that Alexandria Police are sending officers to Hammond Middle School, George Washington Middle School, Alexandria City High School and the Minnie Howard campus during arrival and dismissal hours. Officers are also being stationed at the Bradlee Shopping Center during lunch hours. Alexandria Police are working with the shopping center management and McDonald's to get a detail officer at the restaurant.

ACPS also has school security guards that are trained to respond to incidents like fights. John Contreras, director of safety and security services for ACPS, said Alexandria City High School has about 21 school security officers with one supervisor. The Minnie Howard campus has six officers, and Hammond and George Washington Middle Schools each have five.

As for the mental health resource positions funded from the previous school resource funds, hiring is continuing. Chapman noted one position has been filled, and the hiring for seven other positions is ongoing.

City Manager Mark Jinks noted carryover money from fiscal year 2021 can fund the school resource officers' return. Hayes confirmed there are trained six officers ready to assume the school resource officer positions.