Role Of Cops In Alexandria Schools Subject Of Upcoming Meeting

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria City’s public schools will hold a public hearing on the relationship with the Alexandria Police Department on Thursday as the school system revises its memorandum of understanding with the police.

Virginia schools that use sworn law enforcement officers as school resource officers are required to have such MOUs.

According to a Fox5DC report, the current agreement has expired and some Alexandria parents want a new agreement to more clearly outline when students can be questioned by police, what incidents should be considered criminal offenses and how violations are reported. Changes in the most recent draft include restricting SRO access to student records.

The school system has published a draft of the new agreement here.

The city’s Tenants and Workers United Union has already expressed concerns with some aspects of the proposed agreement, in particular the suggested use of a model in which SROs are present on school grounds not only as law enforcement officers, but also as public safety educators and informal counselors.

The TWU instead argues that schools already have trained professionals in these roles and warns against the encroachment of law enforcement staff into day-to-day school functions.

In September, ALX Now reported on a dramatic drop in student arrests and court referrals.

The public hearing will be held on April 16 at 5 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room located at 1340 Braddock Place in Alexandria.

The MOU is expected to be approved at the April 23 school board meeting.