How are DeKalb schools faring a year and a half into decision to boost SRO staffing?

DeKALB – It’s been about a year and a half since the city of DeKalb and the DeKalb School District 428 board decided to amend a contract between the two entities to add more school resource officers to area schools.

The DeKalb City Council this week was briefed on how the school resource officer program has fared since changes were first implemented in the fall of 2022.

At the time, the district agreed to amend its pact with the city to boost SRO staffing by two.

The district, in partnership with city, employs a total of five SROs who are tasked with overseeing, documenting, taking enforcement action and providing mentoring to students who attend schools in DeKalb.

Police Chief David Byrd said the change the city has noted is exciting to see.

“I think we’re doing things the right way,” Byrd said. “One of the reasons why I say that is because our SROs are actually doing the job that they were required to do. One of those things is life coaching, being a mentor.”

But this doesn’t mean everything is rosy for DeKalb schools, either.

Seventh Ward Alderman John Walker said he’s heard differently, however, and urged DeKalb school officials to protect the students and staff they serve.

“We’re sitting in a room, and we’re talking about how good things are,” Walker said. “In the streets, that’s not what’s being said. … We’re sitting up here acting like everything is doing so much better. I do understand Rome wasn’t built in a day. I truly understand that. But I’m not going to sit up here as an alderman and just laugh, giggle and act like the school district is doing everything they’re supposed to do and everything is on firm footing. I just don’t hear that, and I just don’t see that.”

Byrd rebutted Walker’s argument, saying it’s clear that progress has been made over the past year.

“We are not sending the rank-and-file police department to the schools on a regular basis to handle anything,” Byrd said. “That means that the five school resource officers are handling these situations without the assistance of the rank-and-file DeKalb Police Department.”

DeKalb Police Cmdr. Steve Lekkas, who overseers the SRO program, said a lot of kids being held accountable for their actions haven’t been back to school, which he said gives credence to how the district has fared in promoting safety.

“I think that’s been a lot more consistent as well to where we’re not seeing the same kids that are just causing problems and disrupting school for everybody else,” Lekkas said.

But the school district practices restorative justice when need be, as well, officials said.

City documents show that at DeKalb High School, the number of reports generated by SROs to document unlawful possession of marijuana by students rose from 20 in the fall of 2022 to 33 in the fall of 2023, even as notices to appear and summons on an ordinance violation largely remained down.

Notices or summons to appear on a city ordinance violation are issued to students outside of school hours and only after parents or guardians are contacted, according to city documents.

Lekkas gave an example, saying there was more marijuana violations at the high school this fall, but there were fewer citations issued.

“Typically, what we would do is let the school handle discipline on the first offense, if it’s a kid that hasn’t been in trouble before,” Lekkas said. “Down the road, we would try to get them into some sort of restorative [practice], whether it’s community service, whether it’s referring kids to early risk assessment program.”

One challenge, Byrd said, the police department has had historically is finding a way to work with the school district.

But that’s no longer the case.

“This has been one of the best working arrangements, partnerships that we have ever had with the school district,” Byrd said.

According to city documents, the DeKalb District 428 Superintendent’s office has “supported a zero-tolerance approach to any serious criminal behavior including arrested and immediately removing the offender from the school,” documents filed by Lekkas state.

Lekkas said he doesn’t discount all the intel that SROs are providing him about the inner workings of DeKalb schools.

“When I talk to the SROs, they telling me this year has been better than last year,” Lekkas said. “Last year was better than the year before. Obviously, any amount of crime, any problems is huge. I have three kids in the district. I take children’s safety very seriously. … They’re doing a great job.”