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Antioch Unified approves contract for armed school-site officers amid public concerns and calls for data
Summary
The board approved a contract to continue armed School Site Officer (SSO) coverage with Sr Global to replace the prior vendor; public commenters urged caution, vetting and data on SSO deployments, and trustees requested incident reports and a later review.
The Antioch Unified School District board voted to approve a service agreement with Sr Global to provide six armed School Site Officers (SSOs), replacing the prior firm, after extended public comment and trustee questions about oversight and community impact.
Director Wisley said the district has used armed guards previously to respond to threats and incidents outside campuses and to provide an immediate on-site response when police availability is limited. "Principals are able to call them and get an immediate response," she said, citing examples where principals have requested a guard after threatening emails or neighborhood incidents. She emphasized that SSOs are not intended to perform student discipline.
Public commenters urged caution. Community organizer Devin Williams said he had prior negative experiences with Sr Global staff and asked the board to vet officers carefully. Gavin Payton and others raised concerns about the potential for armed presence to retraumatize students and to disproportionately affect Black students, invoking national examples of excessive force and biased policing.
Board members pressed for operational data and agreed the contract includes a 30-day termination clause; trustees asked staff to provide reports from the current vendor and to return with usage statistics, incident counts and details about which schools have used the service. Several trustees noted the district is exploring alternatives and emphasized they do not view SSOs as a disciplinary presence.
Despite concerns, the consent calendar ' which included the Sr Global agreement ' was moved, seconded and approved unanimously, with trustees stating the contract can be canceled with 30 days' notice and that further review will follow.
The board directed staff to supply SSO deployment data and incident reports at an upcoming meeting so trustees can evaluate whether the contract and guard practices align with the district's stated safety and equity goals.
