Students in Baltimore City are sharing their thoughts on school resource officers and how effective they are at keeping them safe.
The results come from a new survey that was developed by and for students, and this is the second year students in Baltimore City have done it. Developed by Youth as Resources and the Baltimore Algebra Project, there are positive takeaways from this survey, and room for improvement.
Of the students who took the survey, more than half believe the school resource officers are respectful and approachable, 70 percent think the officers contribute positively to the school climate, and most agree school police make them feel safe. The survey also found that most students don't have a relationship with their resource officer, and these officers don't understand their lives in and outside of school.
Students were also split when asked if their officer uses force to deal with conflicts.
Akil Hamm, the Chief of School Police will present the findings of the survey to the school safety advisory board to see what changes can be made to improve the relationship resource officers have with students.
