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Board reviews SRO policy after town hall; community advocates and staff seek clearer rules
Summary
Following a town hall and public comments, the Fort Bragg Unified board reviewed a model school-resource-officer policy and an MOU addendum clarifying when officers should be called; trustees and community members raised concerns about officer qualifications, nondiscrimination, and the SRO role.
The board spent substantial time reviewing a sample SRO policy from the California School Boards Association and a district addendum intended to expand and clarify the MOU that governs the School Resource Officer (SRO) program.
Staff said they drafted the addendum to make operational procedures clearer for site administrators, identifying instances when requesting an SRO is appropriate (for example, life-or-limb or safety threats) and when school staff should handle incidents without law-enforcement intervention. "It clarifies a lot more for our admin when it's the appropriate time to ask for support from a school resource officer versus when it's not," one board speaker said during the discussion.
Trustees and community members raised several concerns during the public discussion and board exchange: whether SROs should be sworn peace officers or contracted private security; evidence of discriminatory treatment in interactions (several trustees said perceptions of unequal treatment had been raised in the community); and the need to align SRO duties with existing behavior intervention plans for students with individualized needs. One trustee urged including behavior intervention plan considerations so SROs and administrators understand students' accommodations before involving law enforcement.
Staff emphasized the district had paused the SRO program after the prior meeting to work with Chief Cervenka and refine expectations; they said the MOU and addendum reflect that work and will return for further review. Board members asked for more student voice in future town-hall follow-ups and for clearer data on incidents and officer engagements.
