Police officers posted at Santa Rosa schools after violence flares between students

Amy Larson
·3 min read
29

(KRON) — Police officers will be present on several Santa Rosa school campuses to provide security leading up to winter break.

On Monday, Santa Rosa Police Department officers were posted on the campuses of five high schools and five middle schools. They will remain on-duty while classes are in session until schools close for winter break.

SRPD said it deployed the officers at the request of Anna Trunnell, superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools. There have been several troubling incidents of violence flaring between students this year, including a homicide at Montgomery High School and a recent classroom fight at Herbert Slater Middle School.

“When the request was made for officers to have a presence on campus for this short time period, we quickly selected five officers based on their desire to participate, prior relationships with school staff and students, and other special skills and training that would greatly benefit the students, staff, and families,” SRPD wrote.

  • Officer Luigi Valencia, who is also a licensed mental health clinician, will be posted at Montgomery High School and Herbert Slater Middle School. Officer Hannah Combs will also be on Herbert Slater’s campus periodically.

  • Officer Dave Lamb will be at Maria Carrillo High School and Rincon Valley Middle School.

  • Officer Steven Darden will be at Piner High School and Comstock Middle School.

  • Officer Maddie Chanin will be at Santa Rosa High School and Santa Rosa Middle School.

  • Officer Jose Andrade will be at Elsie Allen High School and Cesar Chavez Language Academy.

These Santa Rosa Police Department officers will remain on school campuses until winter break begins. (SRPD photo)
These Santa Rosa Police Department officers will remain on school campuses until winter break begins. (SRPD photo)

The Santa Rosa Police Department said its goal is to help foster a safe and enjoyable learning environment.

Permanent School Resource Officers, also known as “SROs,” were removed from campuses by the district’s school board three years ago. In the summer of 2020, the school board unanimously voted 7-0 to suspend the district’s partnership with police, the Press Democrat reported.

Santa Rosa City Schools, the Santa Rosa High School District, and Montgomery High School are currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of 16-year-old Jayden Pienta. Pienta was stabbed to death by a freshman student inside an art classroom on March 1, police said.

The suit accuses school officials of failing to maintain a safe environment at Montgomery High. The lawsuit claims students were allowed to engage in increasingly frequent violent fights with each other on campus and during school hours.

A knife and gang paraphernalia was found inside the home of a Herbert Slater Middle School student. (SRPD photo)
A knife and gang paraphernalia was found inside the home of a Herbert Slater Middle School student. (SRPD photo)

Just two weeks ago, a gang-related knife fight broke out between students on the baseball fields of Santa Rosa High School, police said. A 14-year-old boy was stabbed by a 16-year-old student, police said.

When police officers found the 16-year-old assailant at home, they also found gang clothing, a gun, and a knife. He was booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall for assault with a deadly weapon.

On December 7, two 13-year-old students at Herbert Slater Middle School entered another student’s classroom and a fight broke out. After the classroom fight, the teen who was assaulted pulled out a large kitchen knife, police said. The school was placed on lockdown.

SRPD’s Gang Crimes Team searched the homes of the three 13-year-old boys and found evidence that all three were gang-affiliated. “Detectives arrested all three 13-year-old juveniles for multiple charges related to their respective roles in this incident,” SRPD wrote.

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