Roanoke Peoples’ Power Network objects to the proposed increase in funding for police in city elementary schools, as well as the recent grant money the city accepted for supplemental riot gear, neither of which are in the public’s interest. This reactionary and dangerous increase was requested by RCPS Superintendent Rita Bishop who, after the Parkland school shooting in February, pushed the city to double the number of cops in schools, and even create a new $125,000/yr position to bring 48-yr old former Police Chief Perkins out of retirement. Bishop told council she’d need $242,000 to do so (bringing the total cost of cops in Roanoke schools to nearly $1 million/yr), and asked they “search for money in city coffers”, while many RCPS school workers are still paid poverty wages of $8, $9, and $10/hr.
On top of that, Roanoke City recently received part of a grant for their cops to “improve collaboration” with the communities they serve by purchasing supplemental riot gear, which apparently slipped by every journalist here, as there was no public mention of it until we posted a screenshot of the grant documents from city council’s minutes with the notable parts highlighted, which was unfortunately after they voted to accept the riot gear.
On April 26 a variety of Roanoke parents, students, educators, and residents went to city council’s public hearing on the recommended budget for 2019. Many were not part of RPPN, but everyone who spoke out was against increasing the budget for cops in our schools. We referenced all types of reasons and research that show police in schools do not make our kids and school workers safer or help prevent shootings, in fact the opposite: they present unnecessary dangers and mainly have negative impacts like criminalizing and brutalizing kids, especially Black or Brown or LGBTQ. As we noted in two previous pieces, this is the reality in the so-called U.S. and specifically in Roanoke, where 1 in 4 “offenders” were referred to police, disproportionately Black students. From the armed officer at the Parkland shooting who never entered the school, to a SRO in Alexandria, VA who accidentally discharged his gun inside a middle school, to a 3rd-grader in Maplewood who reached into a SRO’s holster and fired his gun, to the Roanoke SRO at Woodrow Wilson who just pepper-sprayed 2 middle school girls last week. We also suggested what we should be investing in: paying school workers livable wages, hiring more counselors and teachers!
Just to remind ourselves of the backdrop of what else is going on right now nationally and locally: the city is proposing this increase while teachers and school workers in at least 6 other states (WV, OK, KY, NJ, AZ, CO) have been going on strike since February for livable wages, affordable health insurance, and pensions… and while Roanoke County cops just cost taxpayers $49,613 for 2 weeks of “work” doing the bidding of a private pipeline company by denying food & water to a 61 yr-old and her daughter who were courageously tree-sitting on Bent Mountain to protect all of our water… and while 2 Roanoke Sheriff’s deputies were recently charged with domestic assault and sexual assault… and while a former Roanoke City cop just murdered someone out of road rage…..
Action Alert: Call-In Week (May 8-14)
Roanoke City Council votes on the city budget for 2019 this Monday (5.14.18).
Call, e-mail, and tell city councilmembers in person to:
1. Divest from cops in schools not double their funding!
2. Reject the $38,750 grant for supplemental riot gear and demilitarize RPD now!
3. Pay all school workers including custodians, teacher aides, and others livable wages of $15/hr!
4. Hire more counselors!
——————–
Mayor Sherman Lea Sr.
(540) 853-2444
sherman.lea@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson Anita Price:
(540) 853-2541
anita.price@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson Michelle Dykstra:
(540) 627-5807
michelle.dykstra@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson David Trinkle:
(540) 314-8875
david.trinkle@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson Bill Bestpitch:
(540) 761-6566
bill.bestpitch@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson Ray Ferris:
(540) 853-2541
ray.ferris@roanokeva.gov
Councilperson John Garland:
(540) 537-4581
john.garland@roanokeva.gov
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