At its October 16, 2024, meeting, the Miami-Dade County School Board unanimously approved a proposal aimed at enhancing collaboration between schools and law enforcement to strengthen safety measures across the district. The approved agenda item, presented by Dr. Steve Gallon III, directs the Superintendent to evaluate existing school safety partnerships and develop initiatives to improve communication and coordination among stakeholders.
The new plan calls for the establishment of a working group consisting of school principals, safe school officers, district staff, and representatives from the community, parents, and relevant bargaining units. This group will assess current safety protocols, discuss potential improvements, and gather feedback to optimize school safety efforts. The proposal also includes developing or updating training and protocols to clarify the roles of educational staff and law enforcement in maintaining a secure learning environment.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has a long-standing commitment to ensuring the safety of students, employees, and community members. Unlike many other districts in Florida, M-DCPS maintains its own sworn law enforcement officers to work alongside school administrators, a model the district has expanded significantly since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act was enacted in 2018. This law required the presence of a safe-school officer, who must be a sworn law enforcement officer, at every school. In response, M-DCPS rapidly increased the number of school officers to over 354 and became one of the largest school-based police departments in the country.
The district has also implemented the National Association of School Resource Officers’ “Triad Model,” which emphasizes the roles of school resource officers (SROs) as mentors, educators, and law enforcement officers. This approach aims to foster positive relationships between law enforcement, students, staff, and the community. The School Board’s latest initiative builds on these efforts by promoting strategic alignment and mutual support between school administrators and SROs.
In a press release, Dr. Gallon emphasized the importance of evaluating and strengthening the partnership between school administrators and law enforcement to ensure schools remain safe. “This effort will review and strengthen the coordination and overall working relationship between school site administrators and school resource officers in their shared commitment to ensuring safe and secure schools,” he said.
An update on the progress of these initiatives is expected to be presented to the School Board by December 2, 2024.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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