DREAMS."
>> THIS WEEK THE MADISON SCHOOL
BOARD VOTED TO REMOVE POLICE
OFFICERS FROM ITS SCHOOLS.
IT'S ONE OF THE DEMANDS OF
PROTESTERS, WHO SAY
AFRICAN-AMERICANS CAN FEEL
THREATENED BY THEIR PRESENCE.
EARLIER TODAY WE SPOKE WITH
SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GLORIA
REYES, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A
FORMER POLICE OFFICER.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WHY DID YOU VOTE IN FAVOR
OF REMOVING POLICE RESOURCE
OFFICERS FROM MADISON'S HIGH
SCHOOLS?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS A REALLY
DIFFICULT DECISION.
YOU KNOW, AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S
MURDER BY A POLICE OFFICER, IT
REALLY CHANGED THE ENVIRONMENT
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND HERE
LOCALLY.
I LEARNED EARLY ON SHORTLY
THEREAFTER THAT I LOST THE
MAJORITY OF BOARD MEMBERS'
SUPPORT TO KEEP SROs IN OUR
SCHOOLS.
AND I HAD TO SET MY PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR
POLICE OFFICERS IN SCHOOLS AND
LISTEN TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THE
MANY VOICES IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO
WERE ADVOCATING TO REMOVE OUR
OFFICERS FROM OUR SCHOOLS.
WHILE I KNOW THAT OUR MADISON
POLICE DEPARTMENT, SROs
PARTICULARLY, HAVE PROVIDED OUR
SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS MANY
BENEFITS THAT HAVE BUILT TRUST
AND RELATIONSHIPS AND OUR
MADISON POLICE OFFICER OFFICERS
SERVE OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY
WITH INTEGRITY AND COMPASSION, I
KNOW THAT, BECAUSE I SERVED AND
WORKED ALONGSIDE MANY OF THEM.
I ALSO FELT THAT THE COMBINATION
OF THE RACIALLY-MOTIVATED
INCIDENTS IN OUR COUNTRY HAS
SERVED REALLY TO INCREASE THE
EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
IMPACT OF HAVING SROs --
HAVING SROs IN OUR SCHOOLS AND
HAD -- AND THE IMPACT THAT IT
HAD ON OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY
OUR STUDENTS OF COLOR.
SO AS A RESULT I FELT WE OWED IT
TO THEM TO PURSUE A VIABLE
ALTERNATIVE TO SROs.
WE HAVE UTILIZED POLICE OFFICERS
WHO RESPOND TO EVERY SOCIETAL
CHALLENGE, AND WE NEED TO STOP
PLACING OUR OFFICERS IN THOSE
POSITIONS, INVEST IN RESOURCES
THAT GET TO THE ROOT CAUSES OF
VIOLENCE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
CHALLENGES INSTEAD OF RELYING ON
OUR OFFICERS AND PLACE THEM IN
THESE POSITIONS TO SOLVE A LOT
OF OUR COMPLEX SOCIETAL
CHALLENGES.
SO CONSIDERING THE INCIDENTS OF
RACIAL INJUSTICE OUR NATION HAS
EXPERIENCED AND AS MMSD
CONTINUED PLANNING FOR THE
REOPENING OF SCHOOLS FOR THIS
FALL, I FELT THAT THE TIMING WAS
RIGHT.
IT GIVES US SOME TIME FOR THE
BOARD OF EDUCATION TO
INCORPORATE A STRATEGY OF
OPTIONS TO REMOVE SROs FROM
OUR SCHOOL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY
COMPLEX TIMES, AS YOU KNOW.
AND HAVING LASTING AND PAINFUL
MEMORIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND
STAFF AND FELT IT WAS TIME TO
PRESS HARDER TO DISMANTLE THE
SYSTEMS THAT PERPETUATE RACISM
AND CREATE NEW STRUCTURES, AVOID
HARMFUL INEQUITIES AND WITH THE
WELL-BEING OF EVERY STUDENT AT
THE CENTER.
AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
THAT, RIGHT, NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR
LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION, BUT
ALSO WITHIN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM.
>> I KNOW THAT YOU WERE JUST
SAYING THAT THE STUDENT RESOURCE
OFFICERS PROVIDE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT SERVICES OTHER THAN
JUST BEING KIND OF PEACEKEEPERS
OR, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH
ISSUES WITHIN A SCHOOL.
IN FACT, SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING,
OKAY, IF YOU REMOVE THESE
OFFICERS FROM THE SCHOOLS, THEN
YOU REALLY NEED TO BACKFILL WITH
THINGS LIKE SOCIAL WORKERS AND
PSYCHOLOGISTS, COUNSELORS AND
NURSES.
IS THAT IN THE PLANNING IN TERMS
OF TRYING TO REPLACE ALL OF THE
THINGS THAT THESE OFFICERS
PROVIDED IN THE SCHOOLS?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT HAS TO BE PART OF
THE PLAN.
WE HAD -- WE HAD RELIED ON
OFFICERS TO BE SOCIAL WORKERS,
MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS, WHEN THEY
CAN'T DO THAT.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE OUR BUDGET
AROUND SOCIAL SERVICE
OPPORTUNITIES AND SERVICES TO
OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE
TO INVEST OUR FUND IN A
DIFFERENT WAY TO PROVIDE THOSE
MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL,
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR
OUR STUDENTS.
>> AND SO ARE THERE THOSE FUND
WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO DO THAT?
>> WE WILL -- CURRENTLY, RIGHT
NOW, WE ARE WAITING FOR THE
STATE BUDGET, AND SO WE DON'T
HAVE ANYTHING SET IN PLACE RIGHT
NOW.
BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR
PRIORITY.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT OUR
MADISON TEACHERS UNION DID COME
OUT AND HAD SUPPORTED REMOVING
SROs OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS IF WE
WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH AN
ADDITIONAL 33 STAFF PEOPLE.
AND I CAN'T SAY EITHER WAY RIGHT
NOW.
HOWEVER, WE'RE CONSIDERING A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
WE ARE, LIKE I SAID, CURRENTLY
WAITING FOR THE BUDGET REPAIR
BILL FROM THE STATE, AND IT'S
UNLIKELY, THOUGH, THAT WE WILL
BE ABLE TO HIRE ANYWHERE NEAR
THAT AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL STAFF
IN TIME.
BUT WE ANTICIPATE -- BECAUSE WE
ANTICIPATE SOME BUDGET
REDUCTIONS.
HOWEVER, I THINK WE HAVE TO
FIGURE OUT AND BE INNOVATIVE AND
DIVERT CURRENT RESOURCES TO
THESE SUPPORT SERVICES.
>> YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE
SAID THAT IN FACT
NOTWITHSTANDING EVERYTHING WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THESE
OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOLS HAD BEEN
ABLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND
PROVIDE AS ROLE MODELS TO SOME
STUDENTS.
WHAT ABOUT THE LOSS OF THAT?
>> IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG LOSS.
IT IS.
I THINK THEY HAVE -- THEY WERE
ONE COMPONENT OF OUR SAFETY AND
SECURITY PLAN.
THEY WERE ABLE TO BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS, AS YOU SAID,
DEESCALATE SITUATIONS, OFFER
FAMILY AND TRAINING SUPPORT.
AND SO THEY HAVE PROVIDED GREAT
SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS AT OUR
COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO
HAVE TO REIMAGINE WHAT OUR
PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE RIGHT
NOW.
WE HAVE TO PUT OUR STUDENTS,
PARTICULARLY OUR STUDENTS OF
COLOR, AT THE CENTER AND TO BE
ABLE TO LEAD US TO A SOLUTION.
LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS A -- HAS
BEEN PLACED IN POSITIONS THAT
HAS CAUSED HARM
DISPROPORTIONATELY FOR OUR
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WE HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT ON RE-INVENTING
WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE IN
OUR SCHOOLS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GLORIA REYES, WE NEED TO LEAVE
IT THERE.
THANK