School resource officers could come back to Montgomery County

The school resource officer debate is far from over in Montgomery County as officials look at ways to implement them into schools.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The school resource officer debate is far from over in Montgomery County as officials look at ways to implement them into schools.

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FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick says schools returned to in-person learning this fall with no school resource officers for the first time in 19 years.

Instead, community engagement officers were assigned to clusters. But school administrators were told to call 911 if police assistance was needed.

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Montgomery County Public School data showed nearly 1,700 calls to the emergency communications center during the first four months of the school year.

A shooting at Magruder High School in January had many parents and school leaders calling for the return of officers.

According to Alnwick, Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight said a plan would include officers checking in daily at schools and an officer workstation at the school facility. The officers will not patrol hallways and will not respond to school discipline issues but will take the lead on serious criminal offenses.

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