Jake: Bothell school board votes to defund the police?

I thought the “defund the police” movement was safely in the rearview mirror. Apparently not — at least not in Bothell.

The Northshore School Board voted 4-1 last week to eliminate the school resource officer program at Bothell High School (BHS), ending a program that has been in place for over 30 years. The officer in question is Bothell Police Department’s Garrett Ware, who has been assigned to the BHS campus since 2017.

By all accounts, he’s beloved by the community — students and staff come to him when they don’t feel comfortable going anywhere else, he shows up to club meetings and athletic competitions, and he’s known for sporting his BHS Cougars cap around campus.

And if anyone questions whether a School Resource Officer (SRO) is still needed there, consider this: just this past week, there was a student-related incident involving a kitchen knife at Bothell High School, requiring the evacuation of one building. Officer Ware responded, and the situation ended safely.

Majority of students backed the program — the board scrapped it anyway

The high school’s principal and other district officials formally recommended that the SRO program continue. In a 2024 survey of BHS community members, 77% of students either agreed or strongly agreed that the campus officer program promotes student safety.

During the public comment period before the vote, dozens of students and parents spoke in support of keeping the officer and the program. The board voted against it anyway.

I’m genuinely confused about who this board thinks they serve. To me, it sure doesn’t seem like the students.

Students are fighting back. A petition to save the SRO program has gathered more than 3,600 signatures, and students have organized a walkout in support of Officer Ware.

The timing of this decision couldn’t be more tone-deaf. National Police Week ran from May 10-16 this year, honoring the men and women who risk their lives every day in the line of duty. Good campus cops like Officer Ware deserve our gratitude — and to be able to keep doing the job of protecting students.

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