Garfield High shooting: Should police return to Seattle schools?

Should police return to Seattle schools?

Two years ago, Seattle Public Schools ended its school resource officer program. Now, there's debate over whether police should return to schools after several shootings.

SEATTLE - The loss of life at Garfield High School is reopening another emotional debate — Seattle’s decision to end its school resource officers program.

FOX 13 News talked with retired Seattle Police officer Bennie Radford, who says there shouldn’t be talks about if SROs should return to schools because they should already have been there.

"Another child is gone; someone’s child is gone. Who knows who that young man could have been?" Radford said.

It’s been five years since Radford was the school resource officer at Garfield High School.

"That school was my heart," Redford said.

When he heard someone shot and killed a student at the school, he was hurt.

"It was gut-wrenching," Radford said.

He was the SRO there from 2008 to 2019. In 2020, the Seattle school board removed SRO’s, citing the police brutality happening across the country and police conduct in Seattle. Since the shooting at Garfield, the debate over if SROs should return to schools has been reignited.

In a statement to FOX 13, Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr said:

"We are interested in sitting down with students, staff and other school representatives to co-create a job description for what a School Resource Officer could do in schools. The process to design what an SRO’s duties will be on campuses will be inclusive. The role will not be enforcement-focused and instead, will be created to foster relationship-building and communication. This approach is the most effective way to prevent incidents on campus, as research shows an SRO relationship with students helps give an early warning."

"It’s a tragedy, it’s shooting after shooting, and so it’s easy to feel hopeless," Devitta Briscoe, Gun Violence Prevention Liaison with the city of Seattle said. "What it boils down to is the student’s perception of safety, the parent’s perception of safety and if that’s what they feel they want in place to feel safe, then I think it’s worth to have a conversation."

"You hear about people saying ‘I don’t want armed officers in our schools,’" said Radford, "well, you know what, you’ve got kids coming to school with guns — what are you going to do about that?"

Data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction shows the number of weapons seized in Washington public schools is going up, with more than 300 firearms incidents documented in the last school year.

Miles Sagiopian is a freshman at Franklin High School and part of the Seattle Student Union. He told FOX 13 News he doesn’t believe there is a need for SRO’s.

"We've seen time and time again that the police really haven't been able to stop these events, and that, really, is therapists and resources like that that'll actually help students be safe," Sagiopian said.

As for Radford, who now lives in Florida, Garfield is top of mind and heart for him.

"It’s hurting, I’m way on the other side of the country, and I’m thinking about what’s happening in Seattle, it’s a shame," Radford said.