Amid policing debate, school resource officers under scrutiny

In most Vermont high schools, school resource officers — armed, uniformed law enforcement officials with the same powers as regular police — can be found patrolling the halls. 

Their purpose, according to school officials, is to help students address conflicts, provide security, and build bridges between law enforcement and local communities. 

But as the country grapples with calls to reform or defund police in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, SROs are facing fresh scrutiny, and districts in some of the country’s largest metro areas are considering severing ties with law enforcement.