ACLU of Iowa report shows school resource officer trends, where Council Bluffs lands in the data

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —

Harm to students — that’s what the ACLU of Iowa said a new report showed about school resource officers (SROs).

The nonprofit looked at federal data, national studies and requested records from the state’s school districts and law enforcement.

The ACLU of Iowa identifies what it calls concerning statewide trends such as policy or training gaps, and racial disparities in student incidents. But I found through the report, and from talking to the police department, Council Bluffs’ SROs don’t exactly fit the bill of the trends.

The nearly 40-page report breaks down federal records on arrests and referrals by school districts across Iowa.

The nonprofit found SROs “disproportionately discipline and arrest black students” and “students with disabilities.”

“A student with disabilities is referred to law enforcement, or arrested, at 2.3 times the rate of a student without disability,” ACLU of Iowa’s legal fellow Jacob Sarasin said.

Sarasin said Black students in Iowa are referred to law enforcement at twice the rate of other students, “and arrested at nearly four times the rate.”

The data in the report includes the Council Bluffs Community Schools District.

When doing some math on the district’s SRO arrest data, KETV found Black students are arrested at twice the rate of the total student population, which is a rate two times lower than the overall statewide finding.

“We try to let the school handle it because they handle the discipline,” Lt. Matt Brinkman with the Council Bluffs Police Department said. “But as far as when it becomes criminal, that’s when we step in.”

Lt. Brinkman oversees SROs in the CBPD. He said they currently have six SROs in the Council Bluffs Community Schools and are adding one SRO to the Lewis Central Community Schools District in the fall.

Brinkman said before officers can walk school hallways, there’s a thorough vetting process.

“They deliver a memo on why they want to be school resource officers. There are interviews with members of the department as well as members of the school department,” Brinkman said.

Lack of SRO training and policies were noted in the report, but CBPD requires a 40-hour training under the National Association of SROs, which goes over school-based policing, youth behavior and other focuses.

“In the middle of June, myself, as long as along with the current SROs, went to a school; it’s the SRO conference in Des Moines,” he said.

Brinkman said their SROs’ focus is to create a positive relationship with students and to keep the school safe.

“I’ve had to go to these schools when some of the officers have been gone for training or something, and these kids come up and say hi, and they fist bump and everything,” he said. So, it’s working.”

In a statement to KETV, the Council Bluffs Community Schools District said it “has a longstanding partnership with the council bluffs police department. The school resource officers serve as valuable members of our staff as they build relationships with students and take action when necessary to address safety and security concerns, including in our elementary schools if needed. Should there be an unfortunate emergency situation that needs immediate response, they are trained and equipped to respond appropriately.”

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