Solidarity for Police-Free Schools in Salem-Keizer

October 8, 2020 update:


We have submitted testimony and signed onto numerous petitions, adding our voice to the growing list of community members, demanding that the Salem-Keizer School District divest from policing in schools, and reinvest in education. At least one governing body has heard our demands. In late July, the Salem Police Chief announced at a City Council meeting that their department would not be placing school resource officers in Salem-Keizer schools this year. Following that announcement, the Salem-Keizer School Board and leadership from the School District committed to determining whether to continue contracts for school resource officers in the current school year and beyond. The deadline they set for themselves was August 28th, which has since passed without district action.
 

At a moment when our communities are crying out for the protection of Black lives, a dismantling of white supremacy, and demanding racial justice, we must commit to non-police strategies in our schools. Police enforcement is not a sustainable or equitable solution for addressing health and safety of students, and contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline for students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Salem-Keizer must divest from policing in our schools,and they must take that position now, regardless of whether students return to the classroom this year.


We encourage community organizers and leaders to continue responding to the call to actions from Latinos Unidos Siempre and sistering agencies, including the Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality, to remove SROs from Salem-Keizer schools, once and for all.

Related articles:

Pate, Natalie. “Salem-Keizer Leadership Misses Deadline on School Resource Officer Contracts Decision.” Statesman Journal, Salem Statesman Journal, 9 Sept. 2020, www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/education/2020/09/08/salem-keizer-oregon-public-school-resource-officer-blm-latinos-unidos/3437289001/.

Woodworth, Whitney. “Salem Police Chief: No School Resource Officers in Salem Schools - for Now.” Statesman Journal, Salem Statesman Journal, 28 July 2020, www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2020/07/27/salem-police-chief-no-school-resource-officers-salem-keizer-schools/5523990002/.

 

July 23, 2020 (previous coverage):

We stand with our community partners Latinos Unidos Siempre and Salem-Keizer Coalition in Equality, and the call to remove School Resource Officers (SROs) from Salem-Keizer schools. At a moment when our communities are crying out for the protection of Black lives, a dismantling of white supremacy, and demanding racial justice, we must commit to non-police strategies in our schools. Police enforcement is not a sustainable or equitable solution for addressing health and safety of students, and contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline for students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Salem-Keizer must divest from policing in our schools. Join the efforts in demanding the removal of SROs from Salem-Keizer schools. Actions to take:

Sign the Petition – Add your voice to the growing list of community members demanding that the Salem-Keizer School District divest from policing in schools, and reinvest in education. Sign on here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/police-free-schools-in-salem-keizer-school-district?source=direct_link&fbclid=IwAR3INcTRdRE0RmO5D_0aNZp3fh2A-gJJrX3syCjF4KH2qqH47hJMsHfgrPE

Join the Youth Discussion –  This Thursday July 23rd, Latinos Unidos Siempre is holding a virtual space for Black and Brown youth who are current or former Salem-Keizer School District students, to discuss removing SROs from the Salem-Keizer School District. Learn more and sign up for the virtual meeting here.

Read Partner Statements – Follow and read content from partner organization leading this effort. Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS) is regularly posting advocacy opportunities on the LUS Facebook page, and the Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality shared this important statement earlier this month.

Attend the School Board meeting https://salkeiz.k12.or.us/schoolboard/; Email public comments at: publiccomments@salkeiz.k12.or.us 

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