It’s Long Overdue for Pleasantville to Consider School Resource Officers
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
I think it is time that the Pleasantville School District begins to give serious consideration to implementing school resource officers in our schools. I have been pushing for the implementation of SROs for some time now and there doesn’t seem to be much interest from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tina DeSa or the Pleasantville school board.
Several neighboring communities have already implemented SROs into their schools, including the neighboring Chappaqua School District, which has decided to add two additional SROs.
I understand doing so would be a big expense for the village and the school district, so I would like to offer this option as a cost-effective alternative: Hire retired law enforcement officers as armed security guards who would patrol the school grounds much like an SRO would. They could wear casual attire or perhaps a security polo shirt to increase visibility and deterrence.
Some parents may not be comfortable with uniformed police officers in our schools (this has been expressed in community Facebook groups), so retired law enforcement in casual attire, firearms concealed at all times, may be a more popular option.
It is time for the Pleasantville School District to survey the district’s parents and see what the majority is in favor of. At the very least, it’s time for a school district/community discussion on the topic. We as parents should have the power to make this decision.
Eric Andreoli
Pleasantville
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