When classes start at San Jose Unified School District, police officers will not be on campus anymore during regular hours.
The board voted on Thursday night to allow SJPD officers on campus for after-school activities. Sergio Quintana reports.
When classes start at San Jose Unified School District next week, police officers will not be on campus anymore during regular hours.
Instead, the school board voted on Thursday night to allow SJPD officers on campus for after-school activities and special events.
The vote was unanimous to hire police officers for events like football games or other large after school activities at San Jose Unified School District.
It's a decision that didn't sit well with one of the leaders of an effort to get officers out of schools completely.
Crystal Calhoun, who attended Thursday’s meeting was not happy with the vote.
"You spend all our time talking about SJPD. I've had enough of this,” she said
Calhoun leads the San Jose United Equity Coalition. Over the summer, they pushed the board to eject specially trained school resource officers out of all the district's campuses during school hours.
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"Because when you have a school district where you have more cops on campus than you have counselors, you know, What's the real message you're sending to the students,” she added.
San Jose United Equity Coalition members showed up in force for the meeting.
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"We don't want San Jose police officers around our students, especially students of color, students with disabilities, Students who are marginalized in their daily lives,” said Jeffie Khalsa of the San Jose Unified Equity Coalition.
But some parents and students who want police officers on campus, for security also showed up for Thursday’s meeting.
"if you remove San Jose P.D. from our campus, I will feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe,” said Olivia Wright, a high school student.
In the end, the school board stuck with its earlier decision that school resource officers will no longer have regular shifts at campuses. But they agreed they need San Jose police for special events at least through December.
