Students would benefit from less police, more counselors

I am alarmed that Pittsburgh Public Schools has one of the highest rates of student arrests and in the country, higher than 95% of other similar cities. This isn’t because PPS students are measurably worse than students in other cities; half of the Black kids who get arrested are charged with disorderly conduct, an offense that can be applied to swearing, making offensive gestures or being loud. These behaviors are annoying but not unusual, and certainly not criminal.

One of the most common arguments for keeping officers in schools is the good they can do as mentors and role models. According to the July 1 article, “Keeping Students Safe: Removing Police Presence from Schools Would Cause More Harm Than Good, Officers Say,” school police are required to take a 40-hour training to prepare them to engage with students.

I agree that young people need strong relationships with caring adults. But can’t we also agree that a social worker who has years of training in understanding youth development and offering support would be better prepared for this role? Trained mental health workers could discern when behavioral problems require firm discipline and when they are red flags that a student is struggling and needs help.

There is a role for police in protecting schools from dangerous intruders, and every school is required to have an agreement with local police for this purpose. But day to day, our students, particularly Black and brown students and those with disabilities, would be better served by fewer police and more counselors.

KRISTY TRAUTMANN Executive Director FISA Foundation

Downtown