Police officers will no longer be assigned to Hayward school campuses
HAYWARD CA Jan 31 2021— Police officers will no longer be assigned to school campuses, Hayward Unified trustees have decided, saying their presence can intimidate students.
Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to eliminate the school resource officer program, which had been in limbo since last year amid the ongoing national debate about how law enforcement interacts with the public, especially people of color.
The district’s contract with Hayward police was set to be renewed last July. But district officials decided to hold off so they could get feedback from residents.
On Wednesday, trustees voted to “develop new protocols, provide additional training to staff and forge new community partnerships to meet the safety needs of our school communities.”
Superintendent Matt Wayne said the aim is to create “more the kind of community and country we want for our students.”
Hayward’s school resource officer program costs $1.794 million annually. The money pays for six officers, one sergeant and one-third of the salary of a clinical psychologist who oversees the program, as well as for mental health counselors if needed.
The school district pays $479,000 of that, according to district spokeswoman Dionicia Ramos. The city picks up the rest of the tab.
The decision to eliminate the program was not the result of its cost, Trustee Peter Bufete said, but about a new approach to providing security
“I am willing to spend more money to make sure our students either feel safer or actually are safer on our campuses,” Bufete said.
Calvin Yang, a student board member who represents Hayward High School, said the officers made some students feel safer, and their presence could mean swifter response times in the event of an emergency at a school. While he did not advocate keeping the program, he said he hoped any replacement would offer the same reassurances.
Hayward resident Issac Harris told the board that police were not appropriate for schools. “We need to take steps to get away from that method of security,” Harris said.
Just what kind of security measures may be put in place to offset the loss of the officers still must be worked out. But the money that previously went to the program could instead go toward hiring counselors, training school employees on dealing with conflict or students in trouble, and newer security cameras, according to district officials.
“We are going to have that conversation when we do our budget planning,” Wayne said.
Trustee April Oquenda said COVID-19 — and the subsequent closure of schools and the fact that students are now learning remotely — provided an opportunity to review having officers on campuses.
The change in how the district handles security could encourage dialogue between law enforcement and the people they interact with, Trustee Sara Prada said.
“We need to listen to the voices that are often silenced in this situation,” Prada said. “Maybe as a result, officers can have deeper conversations (with students and the public).”
In August 2020, a joint workshop was held between the Hayward school board and the City Council to discuss the school resource officer program. While no formal action was taken during the workshop, most councilmembers said the program’s future would hinge on what trustees wanted.
Contra Costa Times
