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City Council Meeting Minutes October 19, 2021 <br />there are five officers assigned: two at high school, two at middle schools and <br />one at the Lamar Campus. Chief Standridge stated investigations have <br />historically involved theft, assault, sexual assault, bullying and threats of active <br />violence. Many of these crimes occurred off campus but are reported to SROs <br />due to trust. Chief Standridge stated there have been 16 fights at the high <br />school since school started this year. He stated he visited the high school and <br />spoke to the SRO and stated that fights at the school were due to the conduct <br />of events occurring off campus. He stated staff confirmed that three staff <br />members have been injured. Chief Standridge stated all SRO's wear body -worn <br />cameras and document law enforcement related detentions and/or <br />investigations. They are fully subject to San Marcos PD policies and Event <br />Review Board oversight which reviews Use of Force, pursuits, crashes and <br />significant injuries. He noted issues with SROs in the past and noted that <br />policing has gotten more professional. He listed the nearby school districts that <br />have SROs. <br />Chief Standridge stated to demonstrate that the proposed ILA has already <br />contemplated many contemporary issues related to academic research, he used <br />the article found in Oxford Academic: Blurred and Confused: The Paradox of <br />Police in Schools. He reviewed excerpts from the article and compared those to <br />the proposed ILA. Links to the article are in the packet. <br />Excerpt: <br />— "Some scholars, however, have raised the possibility that a police presence <br />may be harmful. For example, research suggests that in some jurisdictions, it <br />has contributed to the criminalization of behaviors, such as dress code <br />violations and school disruptions." (p. 1547) <br />— Interlocal Agreement (ILA) Response: <br />• "The DEPARTMENT is not responsible for complying with SMCISD's <br />personnel -related policies or the SMCISD Code of Conduct." <br />• "SMCISD will investigate school related issues..." <br />• "SRO's will not be allowed to ask students about their immigration status." <br />Plyler V. Doe (1982) <br />Excerpt: <br />— "It is also possible that some teachers will expect officers to use a law <br />enforcement approach to handle classroom misconduct." (p. 1547) <br />— ILA Response: <br />• Duties actually enumerated: Protect lives and property I Enforce laws and <br />ordinances I Investigate criminal activity I Counsel students, such as students <br />suspected of engaging in criminal conduct I Answer questions about Texas <br />City of San Marcos Page 2 <br />