Denver Public Schools reports 35 gun-related incidents have occurred so far this year.
Superintendent Alex Marrero says it’s the most concerning issue facing the school board and his proposed plan of action is to uhm, (checks 9New report) demand candidates running for mayor of Denver address his problem.
Could it have anything to do with Aun’tai “Tay” Anderson’s mission to drive all school resources officers (SRO) off campus during the height of anti-police riots and movement to defund law enforcement after the tragic shooting of George Floyd?
Denver School Board member Tay Anderson tells BLM protestors there are no good cops.
“All you motherfuckers are corrupt” #copolitics #coleg pic.twitter.com/n5yC07D3ix
— Compass Colorado (@CompassCOorg) September 24, 2020
School resource officers are assigned to campuses nationwide as a deterrent against crime and to quickly react to school shooting situations.
But not in Denver Public Schools.
In 2020, Denver Public Schools, led by board members Tay Anderson and Jennifer Bacon, joined Colorado Democrats’ anti-police sentiment by deciding to remove the district’s SROs from its schools. Now, crime is spiking across Colorado and there is a critical need to protect students by giving schools access to an SRO.
Anderson was so proud of removing school resource officers from Denver Public Schools, he pinned his accomplishment to the top of his Twitter page for months.
As reported by CNN, Anderson said at the time in a Facebook post he has since restricted or deleted:
“It was about dismantling a system that has held children of color down for far too long. I know that this change comes with critics and doubts on our ability to lead this district forward, but together we will craft a brighter future to ensure all students are safe in our schools and are no longer thrusted into the school to prison pipeline.”
And yet, that brighter future of safe schools Anderson promised never materialized. Instead, Marrero says we have a “ticking time bomb” on our hands and gun incidents have increased.
“It’s every day something is up,” said DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero. “This academic year has been truly something I haven’t seen my entire career.”
Marrero thanked the Denver Police for their commitment to find a solution, which he went on to lobby explain could only be achieved by more gun control laws.
Marrero said he hopes there’s an appetite for gun control legislation following the elections this November that gave Democrats a wider majority at the state capitol.
He said he wants to pursue any avenue he can – including lobbying mayoral candidates, legislative changes and parental engagement.
For a minute there, we thought the school superintendent was serious about establishing more protective measures for children when they are on public school campuses.
Instead, he’s just declaring himself as a political activist.
It’s disappointing, but it’s everything we’ve come to expect from Denver Public Schools.