Fremont, California – The Freemont Unified School District Board voted to reinstate its school resource officers (SROs) after defunding the program back in November.
The decision to reinstate the district’s SRO program was made at 1 a.m. on January 22 in a 4-1 vote, reports CBSN Bay Area. The board now wants to meet with local law enforcement on how the officers can be held more accountable. It also wants to set measurable goals for the program.
If the board is happy with the retooled program, it will hold another vote to fund the SROs again.
Before the SRO program was defunded back in November, it cost the school district more than $800,000 every year, reports CBSN. Six SROs were placed in each high school, and a sergeant managed the officers. However, without funding from the district, only four officers would be assigned to all of the schools.
The cuts to the program followed the in-custody death of George Floyd last summer that prompted massive nation-wide protests about the high number of deaths of Brown and Black Americans when they encounter law enforcement.
Since November when the district voted to not fund the SRO program, the school board has two new members. During the January 21 board meeting, most parents said they were in favor of the SRO program, but many students said they wanted the funds to support mental health and other support programs.
