Deputy added as school resource officer at Dallas-Center Grimes
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A Polk County Sheriff's deputy will work as a resource officer at Dallas Center-Grimes (DC-G) High School during the upcoming school year.
Why it matters: The new agreement expands the reach of the department's school resource officer (SRO) program at a time when groups like the ACLU of Iowa are pushing to get rid of law enforcement in schools.
- Their presence results in higher student arrest rates and disproportionately affects students who are Black, Latino or who have a disability, according to the ACLU.
Driving the news: Polk County Supervisors approved the DCG agreement last week.
- The district will pay $45K of the estimated $151K for the deputy's salary and expenses, which include a vehicle in the first of a three-year contract — with the county covering the rest.
State of play: The department currently has three SROs in the Bondurant, North Polk and Saydel school districts.
- With DC-G, the department's SROs will now be in every district in the communities where the department is the primary law enforcement.
What they're saying: DC-G's superintendent was concerned about adding the SRO originally but changed his mind after learning more about the program, Sheriff Kevin Schneider told supervisors this week.
- SROs primarily counsel and help students who are struggling with necessities, he said.
- "We let him see that we're not going to be there to be the school bad guy and pick on all the students," Schneider said.
Meanwhile, the district determined the SRO was a chance to strengthen its commitment to safety, a DC-G spokesperson tells Axios.
- The SRO replaces a juvenile court liaison who previously served in a similar role, they said.