Washington schools using fewer school resource officers

SEATTLE — As many students are getting ready for the new school year, so is campus security. But as it turns out, several school districts across the Puget Sound are using fewer school resource officers.

KIRO 7′s Louie Tran looked into how several school districts across Puget Sound are navigating campus security as classes get back in session for many students, and parents want to make sure their kids are safe.

“I’ve always been a supporter of school resource officers,” said Balvina Cortez, a mother of six, with her little students heading back to school.

However, mom Noemi Gonzaga says, “When I see officers, I feel nervous.”

School districts across western Washington are handling campus security differently. While some are focused on school resource officers, others are hiring more district workers – who are focused on safety and security.

KIRO 7 received data from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and looked into school districts in Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties.

Over the last 3 years, Federal Way School District has kept four school resource officers (SROs) and maintained more than a dozen district staff members.

Seattle hasn’t had a single SRO in the last three years, but instead, they’re focused mostly on district workers. Tacoma faces a similar situation, only hiring district workers last year. Up north, Edmonds School District is focused only on district employees and private security. But for Renton, both SROs and district workers have been declining since 2021.

Some district workers told KIRO 7 that the emphasis this year is on physical and emotional safety, focusing on a more well-rounded approach.

While they don’t carry any weapons, officials say SROs are trained for a multitude of different emergency scenarios.

The King County Sheriff’s Office told KIRO 7 that while they are aware schools are asking for SROs, they just don’t have enough deputies to spare because of staffing shortages.

“All of our school resource officers had to be redeployed back to patrol. Our priority is 911 calls and calls for service,” said Brandyn Hull, King County Sheriff’s Office Communication Manager.

Mother Balvina Cortez hopes SROs return, saying that she believes they are more equipped than district workers to address youth violence.

“If there was an active shooter, an active threat, then yes I want whoever, campus security or SRO to have the means to protect the students,” said Cortez.

Cortez tells me SROs don’t only support students on campus, but also off campus, communicating with resources and officers in the community. Cortez says that SROs were able to run additional patrols at local parks and get patrols on walking routes from school to home.

For mom Noemi Gonzaga, however, she says, “I wouldn’t put a price on the safety of my kids.”

While she supports having SROs on campus, she says district workers can create an atmosphere that can better support students and their learning, including for her son.

“He will fear more fear to have an officer because of the weapons, to have them every day in the hallways,” she said.

But both parents agree there shouldn’t be a price when it comes to protecting students.

“Which parent wouldn’t like for their kids to be safe,” said Gonzaga.

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