WUSF Health News Florida by Caitlin Switalski
September 7, 2018
Commissioners investigating the Parkland school shooting said Thursday that law enforcement school resource officers, or SROs, should play a larger role at schools.
Florida Sen. Lauren Book, who sits on the commission, asked the group to recommend that SROs be given access to students’ educational and disciplinary records.
Florida Sen. Lauren Book, who sits on the commission, asked the group to recommend that SROs be given access to students’ educational and disciplinary records.
“They need to be copied and given those records,” she said. “And I know that may create some issues, but if the SRO – the person who is there to keep everyone safe – isn’t aware of those things, then the populous isn’t safe.”
The state’s public safety commission is meeting for its second day of meetings this month, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
On Wednesday the commission watched a surveillance video showing former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School SRO Scot Peterson during the February shooting. He did not enter the building where the shooting was taking place. Commissioners announced they had summoned Peterson to testify at next month’s meeting.
On Thursday the commission discussed standardizing and automizing the threat assessment process for schools across the state. That’s the way schools document and keep track of student incidents, including any behavioral issues that could be considered threats.