School resource officer programs are coming under scrutiny around the D.C. region as local governments examine the future of policing as a whole. On Thursday night, the matter is up for discussion in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The Montgomery County Council is holding a public hearing on legislation introduced jointly by council members Will Jawando and Hans Reimer in 2020 that would bring an end to the county’s SRO program.
When they unveiled the bill, there was immediate pushback from others on the council.
The hearing comes at the same time the county’s school board is also studying the issue. That body expects to have a report evaluating the program by the end of the current school year.
A progressive youth advocacy group said a task force created by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich to look at the future of policing is expected to recommend the county shelve its SRO program
It is not a discussion unique to Montgomery County. A group of Maryland state lawmakers have also brought the issue up for debate in Annapolis, while other local governments around the region are debating the merits of the program in their own school systems.
Thursday’s hearing starts at 7:30 p.m. A vote on the matter is expected to come at a future date.
