Residents and advocates sharply divided over restoring school resource officers in Montgomery County

A virtual public forum held by the Montgomery County Advisory Commission on Policing on the role of law enforcement in Montgomery County Public Schools drew sharply divided testimony Tuesday night, with parents and retired educators urging the return of school resource officers and other speakers warning that policing and surveillance disproportionately harm students of color.

"We are facing a crisis of safety in our schools," said Esther Wells, a lifelong Montgomery County resident and parent, urging the commission to "return SROs to all high schools" and asserting that "weapons and incidents jumped by 30%" since SROs were removed. Wells said juvenile arrests fell while suspensions rose under MCPS' 2025 disciplinary code and called SROs a "vital insurance policy" that ensures "a trained professional is there to prevent tragedy." (Esther Wells, public comment.)

Several speakers offered similar support. Aaron Drawler said recent local gun incidents and the national rise in school shootings make visible, armed security necessary. Retired teacher Jim Gifford described positive, long‑term relationships between officers and students at Blake High School. Rick Moy, a parent from Rockville, also urged reinstating SROs and raised cost and coverage questions about contracted security staff and county budgets for school safety positions.

Opponents emphasized research and racial equity concerns. "Police do not prevent crime, and police have not prevented a school shooting," said Zakiah Sankara Jabbar, an MCPS parent, arguing that Black students in particular feel intimidated by officers and urging investment in mental‑health services and supports rather than armed officers in schools. Laura Petty, an attorney at the Advancement Project, cited national studies she said find no evidence that school police prevent shootings or other forms of violence and warned that surveillance technologies can produce false alarms and stigmatize students of color.

Several commenters and witnesses urged the commission to focus on data quality and transparency. Rob Landau and other speakers flagged inconsistencies between MCPS and MCPD reporting and asked the commission to dig into discipline and arrest statistics; Christine Ramirez urged public access to school crime data.

Commissioners and staff described next steps without announcing a policy decision. Sonny George, chair of the commission's data subcommittee, said the committee is supporting MCPD's effort to procure a modern computerized records system and has recommended steps to improve report quality. Chair Brian Bellamy and other commissioners said the commission will work with the data committee to clarify reporting and examine questions such as whether arrests on school property should be classified differently to limit pipeline effects.

The commission clarified that it is advisory: it does not set school or policing policy and has no disciplinary authority over agencies. Commissioners also noted historical context: legacy versions of the county advisory body previously supported a council measure to eliminate SROs in 2020–2021, but the current iteration has not issued an official position on the SRO/CEO question. Captain Gerald McFarland of MCPD told the forum that the existing MOU between MCPS and MCPD "has not been changed."

The commission said written testimony will be posted on its website, the data committee will continue its review, and commissioners aim to compile recommendations for the County Council after further analysis. No formal vote or motion was taken at the forum.