Training for school resource officers explained
The striking of a female high school student by a male police officer breaking up a fight is raising questions about how school officers are trained.
Colorado Springs police said the officer did nothing wrong in the Thursday incident at Coronado High School. Two girls were suspended for fighting.
Police said they had no one available Friday to discuss training for so-called school resource officers. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office also declined to comment on the matter.
However, the Pueblo Police Department and the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office did discuss the matter Friday with KRDO NewsChannel 13.
Pueblo police said its 11 SRO’s were required to complete a week-long, 40-hour, state-approved course that includes arrest control.
No training is required after the course, and the department requires SRO’s to have three years of police experience as well as earn the approval of a three-member panel.
Pueblo County’s six SRO’s are required to attend an annual conference of the Colorado Association of School Resource Officers.
When asked if training includes the possibility of hitting or pushing a student, the agencies gave different answers.
“If you’re asking me if the SRO’s can use hands-on to break up a fight, to keep someone from getting hurt or from committing a crime, yes they can. Absolutely,” said Charlene Graham, a bureau chief with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
“We don’t want to have to strike anyone,” said Sgt. Darren Velarde, who heads the SRO unit for Pueblo police. “We’re going to do as many verbal commands as we can. Hopefully, teachers will intervene as well, where one (teacher) can grab one (student) and one can grab the other.”
Both departments said they have a duty to act in order to keep someone from getting hurt or prevent a crime being committed.
“We expect (officers) to break up fights,” Graham said. “We don’t expect them to stand there and watch.”
Velarde said unexpected things can happen in the heat of the moment and officers handle it as best they can.
“When they’re engaged in a fight, (everyone’s) yelling and that might be when a student doesn’t know a police officer’s there,” he said. “That’s why we use verbal commands. Most people recognize a police officer’s authority.”
Graham and Velarde said they haven’t seen the cellphone video of the fight and will not offer their opinions about whether the Colorado Springs officer acted properly.
