On Tuesday, March 15, Montgomery County residents will gather in Rockville for a forum discussing school safety and the role of school resource officers (SROs). At state and local levels, the debate over whether to remove SROs from public schools has been an ongoing conversation. In August 2021, Montgomery County became the first county in Maryland to remove SROs from its public schools.

In light of the recent school shooting at Magruder High School and the increase in violence at MCPS schools, there is a need to discuss arguments for/against removing school resource officers. Specifically, more discussion is needed on the facts that underlie arguments against having SROs.

As parents and local leaders strive to halt the pipeline of misinformation about SROs, they are also interested in understanding the role of SROs in light of civil liberties.