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Board requests review of safety and security policies after personnel hearing highlights procedural concerns
Summary
Following a personnel hearing that exposed confusion about ranks, reporting lines and investigative procedures in the district’s safety and security department, board members requested a formal presentation of the department’s policies and procedures and signaled interest in clearer organization and investigative protocols.
Board members asked for a comprehensive review of the Little Rock School District’s safety and security operations after a personnel hearing and public discussion during the Feb. 13 meeting.
Several trustees, including Director Rose, said the hearing exposed gaps and inconsistencies in organizational roles, titles and investigative protocols within the district’s safety and security function. Trustees raised questions about the use of military-style ranks (lieutenant, sergeant, captain) for school security staff, unclear lines of accountability, and whether safety investigators report through the appropriate chain of command.
Director Rose specifically requested that the district safety director appear at a future board meeting to present the department’s policies, procedures and table of organization, and to explain the role and supervisory structure for investigators and campus officers. Other trustees said they want the department to identify whether current practices expose staff or students to inconsistent treatment and to provide a written operations manual.
Trustees also discussed due-process protections for employees involved in internal investigations. Members said they want the investigation policy language clarified to prevent interviews from becoming coercive interrogations and to ensure fairness for employees. The Personnel Policy Committee had previously expressed concerns about the investigation policy, and the recent hearing reinforced the need for the board to review the policy wording.
No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond a request for staff to bring the safety and security policies and procedures to a future agenda. Board members signaled an interest in receiving the documents in advance to allow time for review.
