Alabama’s largest school system considers creating own police force
Mobile AL July 15 2022
Alabama’s largest public school system is looking at ways to beef up security, from creating its own public safety division to adding more than six times the current number of school resource officers to arming the dozen officers that already patrol the halls in Mobile County Public Schools.
An update to the school system’s security plans is expected to come as soon as the start of the 2022-2023 school year, which begins on August 4.
School officials held a news conference Thursday to introduce a “Stop the Violence” public awareness campaign, and confirmed they will have a safety plan to announce within the month.
“There are all kinds of conversations that are taking place,” said Andy Gatewood, director of safety and security with the Mobile County Public School System. “I think we’ve figured out on a plan and we’re not quite ready to roll that plan out yet.”
He added, “It’s not something we’ll allow funding to get in our way. There are grant monies we can explore and hopefully figure out what the best way to get what we need in our schools and to make sure they are safe.”
Schools throughout Alabama are weighing whether to add more school resource officers into their school buildings ahead of the 2022-2023 school year. Al.com file photo via Anna Claire Vollers
The effort to ramp up school safety measures comes at a time when districts throughout the country are analyzing their own plans in the aftermath of the deadly May 24, massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A lone gunman fatally shot 19 children and three adults.
Alabama schools are also taking action by increasing the number of school resource officers (SROs) who are specially trained to deal with students and who are stationed full-time at a school building. In Madison County in north Alabama, the county commission approved adding 18 resource officers to the county school system, or more than doubling the number of officers stationed at a public school since 2019. In Springville, police are looking at ways to raise enough money to add SROs to its schools.
Mobile is also tackling the issue of school safety at a time when homicides continue to rattle the city. Mobile police are reporting 28 homicides so far this year, which is two more than the city had at this time a year ago. Mobile’s 2021 was the deadliest year on record for homicides.
Mobile school officials did not have numbers on how many students have been affected by gun-related violence. But the school system last October received national attention following a shooting during a high school football game inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
School board member Reginald Crenshaw said in Mobile, which is among the 100 largest systems in the country, efforts are underway to see whether a SRO can be placed at every school.
In addition, he said the one idea under consideration is whether the school system should create its own public safety division similar to what is in place at most large universities and community colleges.
Mobile County schools currently has 12 school resource officers, who are stationed at each of the district’s 12 high schools. The school system is currently looking to add one more SRO regardless of any future security plan.
Mobile County Schools consist of 90 schools overall and has an annual student enrollment of around 53,000.
A decision on adding more SROs or additional security plans could come during one of the board’s upcoming meetings. A special session to deal with personnel matters unrelated to a school security plan is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday.
The board will have a work session on July 20, and a regular monthly meeting on July 25.
Crenshaw, in May, urged the school system to consider a policy that would require its SROs to be armed while they are on campus. The SROs in Mobile County are unarmed.
Gatewood said arming SROs is also under consideration.
In nearby Baldwin County – the state’s third-largest school district — all the SROs stationed within the school system’s 45 campuses are armed with a gun.
Lawrence Battiste, the executive director of public safety with the city of Mobile, said he believes the SROs should be armed while they are on duty.
“The majority of the resource officers that work at the Mobile County School System are former law enforcement officers either with the Mobile Police Department or the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department,” Battiste said. “They are well trained.”
He added, “They have a higher probability of coming in contact with a young person with a weapon than the average law enforcement officer does during a typical school day. I support them being armed. It will help them feel more comfortable and also the school population feel a little bit more comfortable.”
The school system is also hoping the newly unveiled Stop the Violence campaign will make students and faculty more comfortable. The program includes posters and printed materials that will be distributed at the school system’s high schools and middle schools, along with flyers that will be distributed at football games.
Participation in the program is voluntary, though Crenshaw said the principals in at least 12 of the schools are interested in displaying the posters.
The central message to the campaign is for constructive conflict resolution. It will be followed up with a mentoring program in each of the schools, Crenshaw said
“We hope the message will get out to our young people,” he said.
Darrell Portis of Mobile, holding a picture of his late daughter – Jireh, 18 – said he felt confident the posters would have some sort of impact.
Crenshaw described them as “strong messages.” One of them says, “Are ya’ll going to kill me? A coward shoots into an occupied dwelling.” A second one reads, “A Coward beats females. Are you a coward?”
“I believe it does spark interest, even if it’s a mental trigger for the children to see this and to know there are other opportunities to solve conflict in their community,” said Portis.
AL.com
