Uprise RI caught up with Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee and Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green at an event at the Frank D. Spaziano Elementary School in Providence celebrating the release of the 2022 School Building Authority Report where the Governor was handing out oversized novelty checks for school construction to the mayors of various cities and towns. Uprise RI was there to ask them about their response to letters they received from nearly three dozen community groups demanding an end to the use of School Resource Officers (SROSs) in schools.

The letters are a result of renewed urgency from many state and city wide organizations to remove police from schools following a February 1st incident in which a School Resource Officer (SRO) assaulted and arrested a 16-yer-old student at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence. 

See:

• Following recent violence, community groups call for immediate removal of all police from schools
• Community groups repeat call to remove cops from schools

Here’s the video and a transcript of the short conversation with Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green:

Uprise RI: Commissioner, can I ask about the letter you received on Friday about SROs in schools where over 20 groups have asked that SROs be removed from schools after the February 1st incident at Mt. Pleasant?

Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green: What would you like to…

Uprise RI: I was wondering about your response to that letter.

Infante-Green: I think a lot of things addressed in that letter have been ongoing conversations and many things in that letter really pertain to the Police Department, not really the Department of Education.

Uprise RI: Isn’t it your decision, though, to keep SROs in schools?

Infante-Green: I think it’s a community decision and what we can do is put in the supports that schools need to keep providing safe and emotionally safe environments.

Uprise RI: When you say it’s a community decision, how is that decision made?

Infante-Green: We have been working with the community and there’s differing opinions about all this. And I think that’s a decision that the superintendent and a whole host of people have to make.

Here’s the video and a transcript of the short conversation with Governor Daniel McKee:

Uprise RI: Are you still committed to the SRO program?

Governor Daniel McKee: Yes. I think it’s really important right now that we keep our communities connected with our police and our police connected with our communities. By and large we know that the families overwhelmingly support the SROs in the schools. We certainly have to continue to make sure that it’s a positive interaction.

Uprise RI: Are you happy what happened at Mt. Pleasant High School on February 1st?

McKee: I don’t think there are enough details out there right now. That’s under review. I’ll wait until the review is done and I’ll make comment on that issue. But I am certainly pleased overall with what the SROs have been able to do in the schools in Providence and around the state of Rhode.

Uprise RI: Do you have a response to 36 [community] groups that wrote to you?

McKee: Not yet. But let’s get the details about what’s going on there first. I think that in a lot of ways we always seem to jump to conclusions before you have all the data in front of you.