Racial justice advocates have warned for years that school police (School Resource Officers) were over-disciplining and criminalizing Black and Brown students, perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline. This comes as no surprise -- Black and Brown kids know all too well that the cops violently assaulting protestors nationwide are the same ones placed in our school hallways, assaulting and racially profiling students.

In light of the horrific current events, and the history of violence by police in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County against Black and Brown people, it’s time for the Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) and Charlottesville City Schools (CCS) to provide real safety to students and move immediately to #PoliceFreeSchools, dissolving their agreements with Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) and Charlottesville Police Department (CPD).

What we’re asking for is not just reasonable and responsible, but entirely possible. Following the murder of George Floyd, the Minneapolis Public Schools saw the real danger that police officers posed to students, and unanimously voted on June 2, 2020 to end their contract with the Minneapolis Police Department. Cities such as Chicago and Portland have formed similar requests.

Current Annual Budget amounts are as follows:

• ACPS spends $264,592 on its agreement with ACPD
• CCS  spends $301,231 on its agreement with CPD

With your help we can demand ACPS and CCS to end these toxic relationships, move to #PoliceFreeSchools immediately, and use those funds to better support students.

Hold ACPS accountable to its claim that “our school division rejects all forms of racism as destructive to our mission, values and goals” to its claim to be anti-racist; and to its “commitment to establishing and sustaining a school community that shares the collective responsibility to address, eliminate, and prevent actions, decisions, and outcomes that result from and perpetuate racism.” Demand #PoliceFreeSchools in Albemarle County.

Hold CCS accountable to its recent statement, “More than reactively condemning these repeated tragedies, we must work to prevent the next one. We are unafraid and prepared to do unprecedented work to push back against hatred, discrimination, and violence until the misalignment of power and force are reigned in.” Demand #PoliceFreeSchools in Charlottesville City.

Signed,

Hate-Free Schools Coalition of Albemarle County in partnership with:
Black Lives Matter - Cville | Charlottesville DSA | Charlottesville Public Housing Association of Residents | Congregate Cville | Cville Community Cares | Delegate Sally Hudson, Virginia House of Delegates - 57th District | Indivisible Cville | Legal Aid Justice Center | People’s Coalition on Criminal Justice | SURJ Cville