After Wootton, Montgomery County Must Restore — and Strengthen — Its School Resource Officer Program

By MDBayNews Staff

In the wake of the shooting at Thomas S. Wootton High School, Montgomery County leaders are once again facing a difficult but necessary conversation about school safety.

County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke issued a public statement calling for the restoration of a “true School Resource Officer (SRO) program” in Montgomery County Public Schools. In her remarks, she emphasized the need for “adequate law enforcement coverage,” full-time on-site officers, and collaboration between MCPS and community stakeholders to ensure student safety while respecting civil rights.

She wrote that if the county is serious about protecting students, it is time to restore a full-time, on-site SRO presence in high schools — officers who provide the care, attention, and relationships that help prevent conflict while also ensuring proper response capability.

That is a significant acknowledgment.

But in 2026, restoring what existed before may not be enough. The county must take the next step and be explicit: Montgomery County high schools need full-time, armed, sworn School Resource Officers stationed inside the buildings.

Clarity Matters

When the county scaled back its SRO program in 2021 amid national policing debates, traditional on-site police officers were removed from high schools and replaced with a more limited “engagement” model. Supporters described it as reform. Critics warned it weakened visible deterrence and immediate response capability.

Now, after only the second school shooting in county history, the debate has returned.

Councilmember Luedtke’s call for restoring SROs signals that policymakers recognize the importance of on-site law enforcement presence. But restoration must be clearly defined.

Are we talking about:

• Rotating coverage?
• Engagement officers without full enforcement authority?
• Or permanently assigned, armed Montgomery County Police officers with full crisis-response capacity?

The difference is not semantic. It is operational.

An unarmed presence does not deter an armed attacker. A delayed response is not the same as immediate intervention. When violence unfolds inside a school, seconds matter.

Armed Does Not Mean Overcriminalization

Critics of SRO programs often argue that police presence can lead to unnecessary discipline or disparities. Those concerns should be addressed with strong guardrails:

• Clear memorandums of understanding limiting involvement in routine school discipline
• Specialized youth engagement and de-escalation training
• Transparent oversight and reporting

But removing or diluting law enforcement presence altogether is not a solution.

The role of an armed SRO is not to police hallway behavior. It is to respond to credible threats and violent emergencies that educators are not trained or equipped to neutralize.

Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country. It can afford both civil rights protections and hardened security infrastructure. These goals are not mutually exclusive.

A Moment for Serious Policy

Councilmember Luedtke is right to say the county must recommit itself to safety. But recommitment should not mean a partial restoration designed to satisfy multiple political factions.

It should mean a clear, transparent policy:

• Full-time, armed, sworn officers assigned to every high school
• Daily presence inside the building
• Defined roles focused on safety, not minor discipline
• Regular public reporting on safety outcomes

Parents are not asking for ideology. They are asking for preparedness.

The Wootton shooting is a reminder that policy choices have real-world consequences. Montgomery County can continue to frame school security as a political balancing act, or it can treat it as the fundamental responsibility it is.

Restoring SROs is a start.

Ensuring they are fully trained, fully empowered, and fully equipped — including being armed — is the next necessary step.

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