The conclusion to renew the contract with MPD has come under criticism from those who oppose the presence of EROs in schools. To some members of the Madison community, the presence of police officers in schools poses physical, psychological and existential threats.
Freedom, Inc., a local advocacy group who testified at the committee meetings, opposes the contract with MPD. Bianca Gomez, gender justice coordinator of Freedom, Inc. and other members of Freedom, Inc., including youth of color, testified to the ERO Ad Hoc Committee about their concerns regarding the presence of EROs in schools.
Their opposition to the presence of EROs in schools is rooted in historical and present day assumptions by MPD that communities of color are crime plagued, at-risk, and in need of aggressive policing. Leaders of Freedom Inc. argue that these assumptions essentially criminalize actions by black and brown youth who receive more aggressive treatment by law enforcement and stiffer penalties in courts compared to their white peers for similar behavior.
Madison police and its school district “are standing in the way of liberty and justice and morality of black and brown people. I think they are scared of the reactions of white parents. They are privileging those fears,” Gomez said.
Opposition to the ERO program is found among white parents as well.