Feeling safer when police are not around. Student safety in Fresno requires real solutions

As a sophomore at McLane High School and someone who calls southeast Fresno home, I’m very proud of how Fresno has shown up for Black lives recently — from the thousands who took the streets to the leadership of young people, especially Black students, who are showing up to make their demands loud and clear in this moment.

But I’m still worried about the presence of police at my school and in my neighborhood. Since I was 13 I have been involved in my community. As a youth organizer with a community-based organization, Fresno Barrios Unidos, I was involved with the police chief search process last year, gave testimony on the impacts of policing at Fresno Unifed School District budget hearings and helped to create youth demands for the Fresno City budget, which included a strong call to divest from police.

Some people say that police or Student Resource Officers (SRO) should be in schools because it helps students build “positive” relationships with police. As a student I know firsthand that this is just not true and police in schools are not the answer to keep us safe. In fact, people say that our school is unsafe because there are police on campus. I usually see them standing around not interacting with students, except when it is to arrest or threaten us. Our nickname for one of the officers on campus was “officer slam” because he would slam students when arresting them. How are we going to build “positive” relationships with someone we’re afraid of?

In my neighborhood it’s no different. When I’m in the car with my uncle, a man of color, I get scared when I see the cops for fear that they’ll arrest or harass him for no reason. If I’m walking home with my little brother and I see a police officer, I’ll change my route to avoid them. I’m so tired of living in fear every day for myself, my classmates and my family — nobody should have to live with this fear that police might hurt the people they care about. This is why I will never feel safe with police in my school and neighborhood.

Instead of using a high percentage of our city and school budget for more police, we need to invest in vital resources and programs in our schools and neighborhoods that actually make us feel safe. More counselors to talk through problems with would make me feel safe. Investments in our school buildings and after-school programs would make me feel safe. Fixing street lights that don’t work and providing more shelters for the homeless people on the corner right by my house would make me feel safe. I believe we can make investments that really address the root issues like poverty and racism so that police aren’t even needed.

Personally, this moment has inspired me to reach out even more to my friends and family to have these difficult but needed conversations around race and safety. These conversations are important as we begin to re-imagine what safety looks like for Black and brown neighborhoods in Fresno.

We all need to have these difficult conversations as each of us can play a role in building a Fresno that is free from racial discrimination. I’m asking Fresno leaders to show up for and listen to students and community and listen to us tell you what safety looks like. My biggest hope is for Fresno to become stronger as a community, to divest from police and SRO’s and instead invest in community. I believe in us and look forward to building a better future for Fresno with all of you.

Selena Rojas is a sophomore at McLane High School and youth organizer with Fresno Barrios Unidos, a local nonprofit that provides support and guidance for youth, young adults and their families in Fresno.

This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 2:52 PM.