Eva Guo speaks about SRO's in our schools

My name is Eva Guo. I have children in Montgomery County Public Schools. I have heard that Montgomery County Council is about to remove school resource officers. So today I'm here to speak up on behalf of many, many parents in our communities. Let me tell you an incident that happened three years ago in Classberg High School. The day right after Florida Parkland High School mass shooting, which caused 17 students' deaths, on February 15, 2018, an 18-year-old senior student brought a loaded handgun to Classberg High School and was reported by another student to school resource officers. So fortunately enough, the school resource officer responded to the incident immediately and was able to pull over the student and prevent potential tragedy. First of all, besides helping create the climate for school safety, school resource officers' duties include also establishing and fostering positive relationships with students, investigating crime, and serving as mentors. So school resource officers can also serve as counselors in the school. They set a positive example of law enforcement for our students. They are a link to the first responders, as well as to protect the school. The threat of violence causes many parents' concerns. Therefore, we should keep school resource officers to keep our students safe and to ensure a safe and secure learning environment.