Montgomery County Public Schools just announced that they are reducing planned security investments at a time when our schools need more safety support, not less. This decision is a mistake. Last night, I spoke with WUSA 9 and Randi Hildreth about how this important issue directly affects Rockville families and families throughout Montgomery County.

This past year, our community experienced a shooting at Wootton High School. That should have been a warning bell for everyone. If that was not enough to make school safety an urgent priority, then what is? We cannot say student safety is a top priority and then cut the very leadership and resources needed to strengthen school security. Our schools need trained safety professionals, stronger coordination with law enforcement, secure facilities, emergency preparedness, and real accountability. For this reason, the City of Rockville has dedicated Community Engagement Officers at each Rockville High School Cluster.

However, Rockville's Community Engagement Officers are not enough. Montgomery County’s current "Community Engagement Officer" model does not provide the same daily presence or relationship-building opportunities as a dedicated school-based officer. Students are more likely to report threats to someone they know and trust, and staff benefit from having a direct safety partner on-site. Thus, we need to bring back School Resource Officers in MCPS as part of a broader, responsible school safety strategy. This is not about politics. It is about protecting students, teachers, staff, and families. MCPS and County leaders need to reverse course and treat school safety with the urgency it deserves. Our children must be safe in school.