4 chapters across the catalog
A debate in Illinois focuses on whether to defund school resource officers in favor of mental health professionals. Proponents of armed security point to a recent incident where an officer successfully engaged a shooter before fatalities occurred. Critics argue that replacing armed guards with "shrinks" is a dangerous approach to school safety.
Florida School Shooting, Sky Boucher, Resource Officer
A shooting at Forest High School in Central Florida resulted in one student being injured. The suspect, 19-year-old Sky Boucher, was quickly taken into custody by a school resource officer, who was praised by local authorities for his rapid response.
The policy of ignoring student crime reportedly led to the placement of "corrupt" police officers as School Resource Officers (SROs) who were skilled at navigating political objectives rather than enforcing the law. These officers allegedly received special perks, such as on-campus housing, in exchange for their cooperation in the arrest-diversion scheme. The discussion posits that this culture of inaction contributed to the failure of deputies to respond during the Parkland shooting.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Kenton County Sheriff's Office after Deputy Kevin Sumner was filmed handcuffing an eight-year-old boy with ADHD. The incident in Covington, Kentucky, has sparked a national debate regarding the use of physical restraints on students with disabilities. Federal data indicates that over 70,000 students were physically restrained during the 2011-2012 school year.
