Defunding School Resource Officers: Three Years Later

In 2020, dozens of school districts across the United States made the historic decision to remove School Resource Officers (SROs) from their campuses. Three years later, the outcomes of this shift are becoming clear. By examining specific districts, we can see exactly how removing campus police has impacted student safety, discipline rates, and the overall school environment.

The Catalyst for Removing Campus Police

During the summer of 2020, nationwide protests prompted school boards to reevaluate the presence of armed police officers in schools. Critics argued that SROs contributed to the “school-to-prison pipeline,” where minor behavioral issues were treated as criminal offenses. This system disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic students, as well as students with disabilities.

In response, roughly 50 school districts voted to cut ties with local police departments or significantly reduce their SRO budgets. Major districts like Minneapolis Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) led this movement. They promised to reinvest the millions of dollars previously spent on police contracts into mental health resources, counselors, and restorative justice programs.

Changes in Student Discipline Rates

One of the most immediate outcomes of removing SROs was a sharp decline in school-based arrests and citations. When police are not stationed in the hallways, schools are forced to handle misbehavior through internal disciplinary processes rather than law enforcement.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the school board cut its school police budget by $25 million in 2020. They redirected those funds to support programs for Black students and hired climate coaches. Data from the district shows that in the years following this change, arrests and citations of students dropped significantly. Instead of facing criminal charges for fights or possession of certain items, students are now routed to counselors and restorative justice coordinators.

Similarly, districts that removed SROs saw a reduction in suspensions. Administrators began relying on peer mediation and behavioral interventions. For civil rights advocates, this drop in arrests proves that defunding SROs successfully protected vulnerable students from early involvement in the criminal justice system.

The Shift to Alternative Staffing Models

Districts that removed police officers had to fill the gap with new types of staff. Minneapolis Public Schools ended a $1.1 million contract with the Minneapolis Police Department in August 2020. To replace the officers, the district hired “School Climate Support Specialists.”

These new staff members do not carry weapons, and they do not have the power to arrest students. Instead, their job is to build relationships, monitor building entrances, and de-escalate conflicts before they turn physical. They are trained in trauma-informed care and crisis management.

Chicago Public Schools took a different approach. The district initially allowed Local School Councils at individual high schools to vote on whether to keep their SROs. Schools that voted to remove their officers were given alternative funding to hire restorative justice coordinators, social workers, or security guards. In early 2024, the Chicago Board of Education took this a step further by voting to completely phase out SROs in all district schools by the fall of 2024.

High-Profile Reversals and Safety Concerns

While arrest rates have gone down, the transition has not been entirely smooth. Several districts experienced increases in school violence, weapons confiscations, and behavioral issues that forced them to reverse their 2020 decisions.

Denver Public Schools is the most notable example. The district voted to remove SROs in 2020. However, the policy faced intense scrutiny after a series of violent events. In March 2023, a student shot and wounded two administrators at East High School. Following this tragedy, parents and teachers demanded the return of armed security. The Denver school board quickly reversed its 2020 policy and voted to permanently return SROs to high school campuses.

Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia experienced a similar reversal. The city council reallocated $800,000 from the SRO program to mental health services in the spring of 2021. By fall, the district saw a massive spike in hallway brawls, weapons on campus, and staff injuries. In response to pleas from the school superintendent and parents, the city council voted to reinstate the officers just a few months later.

Measuring the Current Reality

Three years after the movement to defund school police peaked, the results are highly varied. The data clearly shows that removing SROs reduces student arrests and limits youth exposure to the criminal justice system. Districts that successfully invested heavily in alternative mental health staff have seen positive changes in school culture.

However, the safety outcomes rely heavily on how well a district funds and trains its alternative staff. Schools that removed police without immediately providing strong backup systems often struggled with rising violence and teacher burnout. The choice between armed SROs and unarmed climate specialists continues to be one of the most debated topics in education today, with school boards constantly balancing civil rights concerns against immediate physical safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a School Resource Officer (SRO)? An SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools. They are typically employed by a local police or sheriff’s department and assigned to work closely with school administrators.

Why did schools decide to remove SROs in 2020? Following the nationwide protests in 2020, community members raised concerns that SROs disproportionately arrested and cited minority students for minor infractions. Districts removed them to stop the criminalization of student behavior and to redirect police funding toward mental health counselors.

Did violence increase when SROs were removed? The results vary by district. Some schools reported no increase in violence and noted a calmer environment. Other districts, like Alexandria City Public Schools, experienced an immediate increase in fights and weapons, prompting them to bring the officers back.

Who protects the school if there are no police officers? Schools without SROs typically rely on unarmed security guards, school climate specialists, and staff trained in crisis de-escalation. If a serious emergency or active threat occurs, the school must call 911 for a standard police response.