Franklin Pierce Schools ends deal with county sheriff, removes school resource officers

Franklin Pierce Schools and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office are mutually terminating their deal that enlisted school resource officers (SROs) on the district’s campus.

According to KOMO News, the decision came down to financial considerations and contractual requirements.

SROs were assigned to help with general safety, gang-related issues, and drug problems near the schools where they were posted. SROs weren’t allowed to enforce immigration laws or share info with ICE.

Franklin Pierce Schools stated that it will continue to work with deputies during emergencies.

The surge in SROs returning to campuses

Seattle’s then-interim Police Chief, Sue Rahr, advocated for SROs to return to schools last year, claiming they create a safer environment for students.

“We want to become part of the school staff,” Rahr told FOX 13. “We want to be there in a way that helps students feel safe, not intimidated.”

In 2020, the Seattle School Board removed SROs from campuses, citing police brutality and tensions with the public and police happening across the country. But since the tragic shooting at Garfield High School, the debate over SROs returning to schools has been reignited.

“We are interested in sitting down with students, staff, and other school representatives to co-create a job description for what a School Resource Officer could do in schools,” Rahr said, according to FOX 13. “The process to design what an SRO’s duties will be on campuses will be inclusive. The role will not be enforcement-focused and instead will be created to foster relationship-building and communication. This approach is the most effective way to prevent incidents on campus, as research shows an SRO relationship with students helps give an early warning.”

At the end of the 2019–2020 school year, prior to the summer of 2020 and the nationwide growth in resistance against police, there were approximately 23,400 SROs in the U.S., according to a November 2023 report published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice.

While studies and research remain inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of SROs on campus, researchers at Canada’s Carleton University conducted a two-year study of an SRO program in the Regional Municipality of Peel. The study found that for every dollar invested in the program, a minimum of $11.13 of social and economic value was created. Property damage, student injuries, and 911 calls all dropped with the presence of SROs on campus.

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