KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The debate continues on if police officers should be removed from the two high schools in the Kalamazoo Public School district.
During their virtual meeting Thursday evening the school board was presented with a petition that had over 3,000 signatures on it urging trustees to cancel their current contract for School Resource Officers.
The petition titled “End Police Presence in Kalamazoo Public Schools” was started by the organization PACCT, or Promise Advocacy for Children and Community Transformation and states, “Due to ongoing police violence nationwide and in light of recent local events that have demonstrated law enforcement’s disregard for the safety of our youth, it has become clear that the presence of police in our students’ learning environment is inherently unsafe.”
It calls for the removal of officers at school events, would prohibit officers from being called for disruptive behavior, and would also ban the use of any kind of weapon by any personnel in the building.
Parents and activists voiced their disapproval of officers at the virtual meeting with some saying that they frighten children. “KDPS is a threat to our community and especially our children and their futures,” one caller stated.
But there was also an outpouring of supportive comments from school staff, teachers and students who say the officers provide great role models at a critical time in our history.
“They provide mentoring for students on a daily basis,” another caller said, supporting the use of school resource officers.
New KPS Superintendent Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri says they will seek input from the Kalamazoo community and gather more facts before they consider the request.
Currently KDPS has two officers under contract , one from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the other from the Kalamazoo Township Police Department.
No deadline for a decision was set as of now.
