Saratoga County School Rejects On-Campus SRO! Are Kids Afraid of Cops?

 Parents in Saratoga County told the City Council at a recent meeting that they didn't want an SRO at their elementary schools, doubling down by saying that children don't necessarily feel safer in the presence of a uniformed officer.

A brand new school year is here, and while many families in the Capital Region are scrambling to readjust to the new schedule this Fall, with it comes a whole new set of concerns - especially when it comes to our children's safety.

And while it may seem as though most parents these days wish for added protection in and around, their children's school, the Saratoga Springs School Board rejected the notion of a uniformed police officer (or SRO) on campus when the new school year starts on Thursday.

All of this comes just months after one of the deadly mass shootings in Texas left 19 children, and two teachers dead.

What is a school resource officer and are they armed?

A school resource officer is a "sworn law-enforcement officer with arrest powers who works, either full or part-time, in a school setting." According to the source, almost all SROs are armed and most carry other restraints like handcuffs as well.

But according to a story published in FoothillsBusinessDaily.com, parents in Saratoga County at a recent meeting said that they didn't want an SRO at their elementary schools, doubling down on the block citing that children don't necessarily feel safer in the presence of a uniformed officer.

Ultimately, it's the Board of Education who decides whether an SRO is needed- or wanted - at a particular school, and therefore the city council must defer.

Are your kids afraid of Cops?

According to the report, parents said that "the SROs make the students more anxious and aware of potential violence rather than giving them the feeling of security that the SRO, a uniformed Saratoga Springs Police officer, is supposed to give."

This is especially true, according to the story, for minorities and students who come from lower-income families.

But what if the Board of Education changes its mind?

The story states that Commissioner of Public Safety James Montagnino is in favor of the SRO program and says his department is ready to share his "three trained officers and two more in the training pipeline" if need be.