Keeping schools and students safe, three kinds of officers used

The Buffalo Public School Board discussed the role of police officers in schools during Wednesday evening's virtual school board meeting.

WE COULD SEECHANGES IN SECURITYIN BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOLS.NEW AT 11 -- GILATMELAMED LOOKS ATTHE ROLES DIFFERENTKINDS OF OFFICERSPLAY IN KEEPING OURCHILDREN SAFE.THE BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOL BOARD ISTAKING A CLOSERLOOK AT POLICEOFFICERS INSCHOOLS.SCHOOL RESOURCEOFFICERS AREMEMBERS OF THEBUFFALO POLICEDEPARTMENT.THEY ARE TRAINED ONHOW TO DEAL WITHSTUDENTS ANDRESOLVE CONFLICTS.BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOL BOARDMEMBER TERRANCEHEARD SAYS THEY'REMORE THANOFFICERS.THEY FORMRELATIONSHIPS WITHSTUDENTS ANDCOACH SPORTSTEAMS.THE OFFICERS ARETHE FIRST TORESPOND TO 911CALLS AT ANY OF THECITY'S SCHOOLS.AND ARE PAID BY BPD."I'D RATHER HAVE ANSRO RESPOND TO ANINCIDENT IN OURSCHOOLS THAN HAVEAN OFFICER CALLED INOFF THE STREETS THATMIGHT NOT KNOW OURCHILDREN AND MAYNOT HAVE ARELATIONSHIP WITHTHEM AND MAY TREATTHEM DIFFERENTLY."BUT THERE AREOTHER SCHOOLSAFETY OFFICERSTHAT ARE NOTMEMBERS OF THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT.SOME BOARDMEMBERS WANTCLARITY ON WHYBOTH TYPES OFSECURITY ARENEEDED."I NEED TO KNOW WHYWE DON'T HAVE JUSTSECURITY OFFICERSPLAYING ALL THEROLES AND WHY WE'RENOT PAYING THOSEFOLKS AND WHY WEHAVE THISDEPARTMENT WITHINOUR SCHOOL."FIVE OF THE CITY'SHIGH SCHOOLS HAVE ATHIRD TYPE OFSECURITY OFF DUTYPOLICE OFFICERS PAIDBY THE SCHOOLDISTRICT.HEARD SAYS THAT HASSOME BOARDMEMBERS ONOPPOSITE SIDES."THE BOARD SEES THEOFF-DUTY OFFICERS ASBEING PAID BY THEDISTRICT, AND THEYMIGHT NOT HAVE THETRAINING THE SRO'SHAVE.

AND WE'REGOING TO MAKE SURETHEY TREAT OUR KIDSADEQUATELY."THE BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOL DISTRICTFACES A 90 MILLIONDOLLAR BUDGETDEFICIT HEADING INTOSEPTEMBER."IT'S SOMETHING THATTHIS DISTRICT HASNEVER SEEN BEFORE.IT'S UNHEARD OF."IN A LETTER TO BOARDMEMBERSSUPERINTENDENTKRINER CASH SAYSTHE DEFICIT IS LIKELYTO GROW WITHEXPECTED CUTS TOSTATE AID.THE DEFICIT LOOMSAS THE CITY WORKSTO REOPENSCHOOLSEXAMININGEVERYTHING FROMHEALTH SCREENINGS,TO CLASS SIZE, TOTHE CLEANING OFBUILDINGS.IN BUFFALO, GI