Police Chief John Tedesco of the Troy City Police Department needs his Troy Police Resource Officers to be patrol the streets and not school hallways when the police department is understaffed. Parents of the Troy City School District support the idea of keeping Troy Police Resource Officers in schools full time. They are worried about what could happen without policemen around to ensure safety of the children and staff. The parents say that knowing an officer is patrolling the schools in the district gives the parents and students peace of mind. The President of the PBA states that this isn't a union issue, but that "officers prevent problems. Now we've got to go back to reacting to problems." The parents are assured that the police will be nearby in case something occurs at the schools, however some parents like Maria Holmes believe that nearby isn't good enough in this day and age.
I realize that police are very effective at maintaining a safe environment in schools, but I don't believe that they are necessary in order for the school to be safe. Shouldn't the school staff be maintaining a safe learning environment? It sounds to me like the parents do not trust the staff of the school district. The staff also have a level of authority and will intervene if issues occur in the schools. I believe that the parents are slightly overreacting to the issue of removing policemen from the schools. I believe that policemen should be patrolling the streets to make sure the community is safe; having policemen in schools makes schools extra safe because there's school staff and police patrolling the area, but then who will be patrolling streets where people live and stopping crimes that are occuring in the community? What do you guys think?
Friday, March 4, 2011
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2 comments:
I could not find any insight into the Troy City School District's history of violence, but the fact that parents are worried about taking away officers from the school leads me to believe that the school does have some sketchy people in it.
But honestly, where are the police going to save the most people? Enclosed in a school, or out there on the streets of Troy, New York? Yes, students do need to be protected, but the school has faculty, administration, and hopefully guards around to keep the rowdy kids from being too rowdy.
Since I'm a neutral bystander, I think the police can better protect the people by going out into the street. After all, if it doesn't work out so well, Police Chief John Tedesco said, "Don't listen to the hype, listen to the plan. Give me a chance to evaluate the plan. If we're wrong, we'll put the officers back in the school."
I actually think it would be beneficial to remove the police from the school especially for the children. Kids and teachers should be working together to create a safe school environment instead of depending on the police. Firstly, I think it's sad that kids, or at least their parents, only feel safe if there is an armed officer in the building. Kids at school should be able to trust each other. I know that violence can be prevalent in schools, and certainly in some places more than others, people have a reason to be scared. But I think the issue of safety should first have been tackled by the staff in the school. Maybe it was. But I think at this moment in time, it makes sense to remove the officers because they are understaffed, and to try and work on safety from inside the school. School counselors, teachers, administration, parents, and students could and probably should band together to address the issue of safety. For me personally, I would feel more afraid if there were police patrolling the school everyday, just because it would make me feel as though I wasn't safe without them. And maybe this is how the parents are feeling, as though the ONLY way to maintain order and safety is to have trained, armed policemen patrolling a school. If this is the case, the parents should band together to create a safe environment within the school to reassure their children that they are safe, and that they should feel okay going to school each day. Repeating what I previously said, I think it's incredibly sad that there are schools where safety isn't taken for granted unless policemen with guns are at the ready.
I also agree with Tony's point that the police should be out on the streets. If the department is understaffed, they should be sending their policemen out in the community to build safety there, rather than patrolling the hallways. The administration and teachers should be doing that, if the parents do feel that someone does need to do it. I think it would be beneficial to the feeling of safety at the school for the police to further protect the surrounding community. That way, the kids will feel they not only go to school in a safe place, but they live in a safe place too.
-Alice Bebbington
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