Salem parents are fighting back against the removal of Safety Resource Officers (SRO) from public schools. Dustin Caldwell, self-employed entrepreneur, father of four, has started a petition. "Put School Resource Officers Back In Our Schools" can be signed online.

“I am just making sure that kids will remain a protected class," said Caldwell. "I want to make sure all children are safe and sound while in our public school system.”

Linda Farrington, a concerned citizen who is helping to promote the campaign says, “last spring many people conflated national concerns about officers in schools that were not true for Salem-Keizer School District officers. Prior to removing officers, Salem-Keizer assessment team was nationally acclaimed, working across many disciplines to coordinate care and work together to de-escalate issues at schools. There was no school to prison pipeline. No evidence of disproportionate arrests per police data—the school district didn’t even keep any data.”

Now, safety is a big issue all year and has only become worse. Teachers are leaving because they don’t feel safe. Kids depression rates have doubled since the onset of the Covid restrictions, and students have more PTSD, higher rates of anxiety, more gender confusion, and higher rates of suicide.

Going back into a social environment is more of a challenge than many suspected as kids acted out bullying, more violence, with less discipline and no SRO available for control.

This new environment has left the more vulnerable to seek acceptance for safety from groups that ploy with identity that leads to confusion and more violence. Oregon is in the lowest group of states for care available to students, and the care that is available often leads them down a dark path. With the lack of concern for the mental health of our students, SROs are needed more than ever.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Caldwell states, “The district made a political decision to remove officers from our schools and in doing so sacrificed the safety of our youth. We have to hold our public officials accountable for their actions and when it comes to the safety of our kids we have to act fast and hard. I encourage taxpayers and parents to email the district and let their voices be heard.”

The Oregon Department of Education, State Board of Education will hold its meeting on June 16 at 9 AM, by video conference livestream.

The Board will only accept written public comments for this meeting, but claims they will consider all public comments. Submit written comments or testimony by email or by physical mail addressed to:

State Board of Education, 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem, OR 97310.

Clearly label the subject line as: “Public comment” or “Testimony” and include the topic. Example: “Public Comment: School Safety.”

All written public comment will be posted to Boardbook, where you can view the agenda and materials.

Let the Oregon State Board know of your concerns over student safety for the state, and contact your local school board and superintendent.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-06-10 09:40:57

Last Update: 2022-06-10 10:40:29