After shooting, Natomas school district asks city to restore campus police officers
In the wake of a fatal on-campus shooting, leaders of the Natomas Unified School District are asking the city of Sacramento to again provide school resource officers.
Superintendent Robyn Castillo sent a message to Sacramento City Manager Maraskeshia Smith Tuesday requesting that the city reinstate its contract that assigned three full-time police officers and a supervising sergeant to Natomas schools. The agreement was canceled in October, a few months after it went into effect, due to a police staffing shortage.
“While we recognize the difficult reality that no system can eliminate every risk, we continuously reevaluate and strengthen our processes and procedures as part of our commitment to the safety of our students and staff,” a district news release reads.
Her request to reinstate SROs comes after the fatal shooting of 16-year-old De’Jon Sledge at Natomas High School on Friday. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said that a student shot Sledge during a “violent attempted robbery,” categorizing the shooter’s actions as self-defense.
City spokesperson Jennifer Singer confirmed that the city manager is currently reviewing the school district’s request.
“The loss of life is heartbreaking, and any loss of life in our community is deeply felt,” she wrote in a statement. “The city and police department are committed to working closely with our partners to evaluate this request, understand current needs and determine the most responsible path forward.”
On-campus safety after Natomas High shooting
The city canceled the school district’s $2.1 million SRO contract, which was initially set to expire in June 2028, in October. Officials said that staffing shortages forced them to reassign these officers to patrol duty to meet the city’s needs.
Natomas Unified responded by beefing up its own safe schools department, creating three new school safety positions to support each high school and float to other sites as needed. The district also hired campus safety specialists to monitor campus perimeters and parking lots.
In terms of safety measures, the district has fencing around each school campus, security camera systems and check-in procedures for all visitors and parents.
Students and staff returned to class Monday with the support of a mental health team, community partners and increased presence of the district’s safety team, according to a Monday news release.
District spokesperson Deidra Powell said that a prospective contract with the police department would add to, not replace, the district’s recent safety developments.
The problem underscoring the previous contract cancellation is still present. Outgoing police chief Kathy Lester told The Sacramento Bee on Monday that the department was facing significant budget and staffing challenges, and that the department will host a recruitment academy for hopeful law enforcement officers.
SROs have been controversial, with critics doubting on-campus law enforcement’s efficacy in responding to school shootings. Research has shown that school-based police have been marginally successful in preventing some violence on campuses, but their presence doesn’t prevent school shootings and is linked to disproportionate discipline of Black and disabled students.
The Bee’s Ishani Desai contributed to this report.
