How has school security changed in DPS? District volunteer weighs in

As part of Denver7’s in-depth coverage of a lawsuit filed against Denver Public Schools board members by the family of a teen gunned down at East High School last year, we’re asking the question: Has school safety and security changed since the reintroduction of school resources officers following that shooting in early 2023?

Denver7’s Shannon Ogden took that question to the front lines, bringing in retired DPS teacher and current district volunteer Margaret Bobb for a sit-down interview.

Bobb said there is “a significant difference” in school security since she retired from teaching five years ago – and since Luis Garcia, 16, was shot and killed while inside a parked car outside of East High School on February 13, 2023.

“Security is much tighter,” she said. “Getting in and out of the school is much more controlled. The doors are [...] consistently locked. And the protocols for letting people in and out of the buildings are great.”

But Bobb stopped short of crediting the reintroduction of SROs, saying they act as more of a secondary line of defense.

Local

Studies find impact of school resource officers on campuses remains inconsistent

Stephanie Butzer

“The fundamental foundation of safety is the teacher and the classroom and the students in that classroom – culture and the trust between the teacher and the student,” Bobb said.

In her interview with Denver7, Bobb offered one solution in particular that she says could improve those relationships between teachers and students. That answer and more, in her full conversation with Shannon in the video player below: