Vera Institute of Justice | Taking Police out of Schools
After Weeks of Protests, a Look at Policy Changes in U.S. Policing
After Weeks of Protest, a Look at Policy Changes in U.S. Policing
Taking Police out of Schools
Rethinking 911 Responses
Cutting Police Budgets
Decriminalizing Low-Level Offenses
Improving Oversight and Accountability
As police operations in public schools are widely criticized, at least 12 school boards or city councils have acted to discontinue the practice. The presence of police in public schools has exploded since the mid-1990—and removing law enforcement from schools has been a core goal of advocates.
The Minneapolis school board voted unanimously to void its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department. The board will present a new plan for school safety to the city superintendent in mid-August.
In Oregon, after the superintendent of Portland Public Schools ended its contract with the police, the Portland Police Bureau eliminated the Youth Services Division, reassigning its officers.
The Denver school board voted unanimously to discontinue its contract with the Denver Police Department and phase out school resource officers from middle and high schools by June 2021. The board's resolution said the funds for those officers could be used to increase the presence of "social workers, psychologists, restorative justice practitioners, or other mental or behavioral health professionals" in the school district.
Milwaukee Public Schools terminated its contract with the city's police, which issued a statement saying that the department supports the school board's decision and that "funding should be reinvested into our public school system to support social services."
The Oakland school board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department. The resolution states that since 2015, "Black students have accounted for 73 percent of arrests in city schools but just 26 percent of enrollment." The city superintendent has until August 20 to report to the board on a "community-driven" plan for district safety.
The city council in Rochester, New York, voted to withdraw funding for police officers in schools in the 2020–2021 budget and cut $3.6 million—about 3.7 percent—from the city's police department.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, the city council, school board, and police department released a joint statement agreeing to remove school resource officers from city schools. Mayor Nikuyah Walker said, "Our students should be able to attend schools and not believe they will be policed for being children." City agencies are soliciting community input as they begin a process of reallocating funds for alternative school safety measures.
In Wisconsin, the Madison Board of Education voted unanimously to cancel its contract with the city police department. The city council is expected to approve the measure later this month.
School boards in smaller jurisdictions have also terminated contracts with their police departments, including those in West Contra Costa, California; Winona, Minnesota; Eugene, Oregon; and Edmonds, Washington.
After Weeks of Protest, a Look at Policy Changes in U.S. Policing Rethinking 911 Responses