POMONA, Calif. — The Pomona Unified School District board has renewed a contract with the Pomona Police Department months after declaring officers would no longer be on campus.

In June, PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez said the district would no longer contract with the police department as "an opportunity to do better." Martinez also stated the district would consider bringing community student resource officers, or CSROs, back to campuses if needed. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Pomona Unified School District board has renewed a contract with the Pomona Police Department months after declaring officers would no longer be on campus

  • During a special board meeting on Oct. 27, PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez said the CSRO role would be "reimagined" after input from students and community members

  • In a phone interview, the district's Public Information Officer Oliver Unaka said the board's approval of officers wasn't a commitment reversal but a re-investment in students to address the need

  • The district's contract with the police department still needs to be approved by the Pomona City Council

During a special board meeting on Oct. 27, Martinez said the CSRO role would be "reimagined" after input from students and community members.

"CSROS will be receiving training through the PUSD on topics such as restorative justice, trauma-informed practices, de-escalation, diversity and inclusion, and that will be done on an ongoing basis," Martinez said.

In a phone interview, the district's Public Information Officer Oliver Unaka said the board's approval of officers wasn't a commitment reversal but a reinvestment in students to address the need.

Pomona High School junior Caroline Lucas said students need mental health services and not police officers. Lucas advocated for the district to defund police officers as part of the youth advocacy group Gente Organizada. She feels the district's decision to resume a contract with the police department ignores students' concerns of harm caused by officers.

"They do more harm than actual solutions," Lucas said. "We need long-term solutions such as mental health services, youth divergent programs because our schools are underfunded as it is. And we are low-income majority that attend the Pomona Unified School District, so it's like I'd rather have Pomona Unified do their job before police do their job."

The district's contract approval comes after a shooting near Pomona High School on Oct. 15, which left a 12-year-old boy injured. Lucas was there during the shooting and admitted it was scary but doesn't believe having police officers on campus would have made the situation safer.

Related Stories

"The only reason it didn't escalate even further is because teachers were able to keep us safe and if policemen were there, it would have escalated further because they are also human too, and who knows; they would have brought out guns," Lucas said.

The district's contract with the police department still needs to be approved by the Pomona City Council. The next meeting is Nov. 15.