School Resource Officers

 School Resource Officers:

School Resource Officers (SRO's) have been in existence since 1953, when Flint, Michigan provided the first documented SRO to their community.   Today local police departments and sheriffs employ an estimated 20,000 full time School Resource Officers.   A School Resource Officer  is a sworn officer or deputy responsible for providing security and crime prevention service in the school environment.   Officers and deputies serve as role models, counselors, and mentors building relationships between law enforcement and youths.   They also educate kids on topics such as bullying, Internet safety, conflict resolution, and anger management.   Their primary responsibility , though, is the safety of our children.

The presence of an SRO can act as a deterrent to crime.   Students often pass tips to. and confide in officers if someone brings something on campus that is not allowed or if they hear something might happen.   School Resource Officers can and do make arrests.

Most local arrests stem from disruption of a school function, such as by fighting or violation of probation.   Statewide in Florida assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and misdemeanor drug violations represent more than half of school related delinquency arrests according to a Juvenile Justice Report. 

Critics of School Resource Officer programs say they send the wrong message and create an atmosphere that leads to an increase in juveniles being introduced to the criminal justice system.   Supports for the programs is meeting resistance by those who feel schools need to be focused on education and not police actions.  Some point to data that shows administrative measures in non SRO schools can contribute to lower crime rates.  Some studies indicate that SRO's make arrests for  matters that should be handled through school disciplinary channels and should not have escalated to the level of criminal charges being filed in criminal court.

Here in St. Lucie County, Florida we have 4 officers and 1 civilian provided by the Port St. Lucie Police Department and 25 deputies provided by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office.  The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice reports that for the 2011 - 12 year there were 379 arrests on St. Lucie County Schools grounds, school buses, bus stops or at school events.   That is a rate of 18 arrests for each 1,000 students.   It is considered a high rate, higher than the 10 per 1,000 state average.  

The year with the highest number of arrests was 2005 - 06 with 662 arrests.  The last three years have been trending downward with rates of 30, 21, 18 respectively.   Law enforcement officials at least partially credit the presence of  officers for the decline.

So, there you have it.  Are School Resource Officers an asset to our schools and communities?  You decide.

Mainstream Media or Lame-Stream Media

Mainstream Media or Lame-Stream Media:

I'm tired of commercial television news.  There are too many advertisements.  It's about the money, you know. The "lead-ins" and "teasers" make you think they are going to give you new information you absolutely need.  Most of the time it's not.   It has been said that we as Americans gravitate to the disturbing story.  There is no shortage of those. Stations and networks seem to be happy to oblige.  Then there is the weather.   The weather forecasters make it sound like weather related destruction is imminent.  There is nothing anyone can do about the weather.  How they find the neighborhoods with the most damage and or flooding after a storm is amazing.  Hurricane season is like Christmas season to them. A whole six months to talk about possible disaster.  In the end the forecast is always the same.  These storms are very hard to predict.  You have to tune in to find out the newest forecast track.  Frankly, I find it all very stressful.

To be fair, the competition for viewers has never been greater.  With all the specialized channels available, it is a hard fight for local news outlets to retain viewership.  You have all news channels. You have all weather channels.  News and weather are available on your computer and phone.  Local channels have to entice viewers to tune in any way they can.  Sometimes they walk a fine line as to what is permissible.   As a viewer I sometimes feel like I'm being manipulated.  Of course I have the power to register my discontent.  It's called a remote.

Each year the FCC receives a wide variety of comments and complaints about television news coverage.   The complaints range from inaccurate or one-sided reporting  to failure to cover some events, covering them adequately, or over emphasizing or dramatizing certain events.   The FCC's authority to respond  is narrow in scope and it is prohibited from censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights.   While federal law does prohibit obscene, indecent, or profane language, it cannot interfere with selection and presentation of news or commentary. 

Broadcasters are considered public trustees and as such may not intentionally distort the news.  The FCC  considers "rigging" or slanting the news as  a heinous act.   The FCC may act when it receives documented evidence of "rigging" or slanting from insiders or persons with direct personal knowledge of intentional falsification. 

Concerns or comments about a specific news broadcast or commentary should be directed to the local station and network involved, so management will be informed about audience opinion.  Complaints regarding news distortion, rigging, or slanting can be filed with the FCC, but remember the complaint must include documented evidence of the event and showing deliberate misrepresentation.

For those wanting to bypass commercial television news and weather I recommend NPR (National Public Radio) and also PBS (Public Broadcast System).  These entities also have websites which can be accessed.  Computer searching specific topics  will also bring up information.  For weather  I recommend The Weather Channel.  It can be accessed anytime of the day or night.  You don't have to wait or endure a bunch of commercials.  For hurricane information you can directly access The National Hurricane  Center online and get the same information your local weather forecaster is getting. 

So, take matters into your own hands.  You can access the same information you'll hear on TV without all the hype and commercials.  You can do it.