Full Notification

Date: June 12, 2020

No: 20-17
Subject: School Safety and Security Model



In the aftermath of the tragic death of Mr, George Floyd, there have been calls for police reform throughout the nation. Locally, as recently communicated in writing, REU President Angelina Cruz has called for the removal of all police officers from the RUSD school system.

In 2015, the Racine Police Department partnered with RUSD and Safe & Sound of Milwaukee, WI to improve safety and security within the school system to counter the threat of local students being exposed to the school to prison pipeline. Not to be confused with the traditional School Resource Officer (SRO) model, the COP in schools model was created to mirror the neighborhood COP problem-solving policing philosophy.

Under the school COP model, officers are chosen through a competitive selection process which includes peer and supervisory assessment. Once selected, school COP officers are deployed as full-time problem-solvers within the school system. School COP officers receive specialized training, such as Policing the Teen Brain, Trauma-Informed Care and other targeted instruction as dictated by the unique needs of the student population and the broader district. Primary school COP officers are supported by other sworn members as needed to increase safety and security within the school system. Through daily interaction with students and regular consultation with staff, officers become familiar with students on a personal level, developing relationships built on mutual respect, facilitating the problem-solving crime reduction process.

Attached are RUSD student and staff surveys that affirm the support for the school COP model. Also attached is the COP in schools Officer Program Manual, which details this policing model in greater detail.

The following is a graph depicting the reduction in calls for service since the initial year of services under the COP in schools model. In direct correlation, behavioral problems were addressed through non-criminal alternative sanctions, which resulted in a 43 percent reduction in citations being issued to students during this time frame.


Members of the public are invited to review the original scope of work for the COP in schools model, as well as the outcomes that have been achieved to date under this unique academic public safety partnership.
See additional information regarding this policing model via the following links:
TMJ4 News Story on RPD COP in Schools Model:
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/improved-behavior-linked-to-school-resource-officers
CBS58 News Story on COP in Schools Model:
https://www.cbs58.com/news/racine-me-april-8st-2017-helmets-to-heal-racine-police-chief-art-howell-racine-zoo-s-egg-stravaganza
COP School S.T.O.P. Program
https://journaltimes.com/news/local/park-students-complete-program-designed-to-build-trust-between-cops/article_9f68f880-b691-50a4-a0bd-ced1adc30b43.html
COP in Schools Partnership
https://patch.com/wisconsin/mountpleasant/racine-cops-partner-with-park-high-school-on-new-sign
Meet the School Safety COP Leaders:
https://www.cityofracine.org/Police/SchoolSafety/

Chief Howell