Antioch schools approve hiring six campus police officers

Following two nights of public comment and protests that interrupted a meeting, the Antioch Unified School District has approved hiring police officers for six of its campuses. 

The board trustees voted three to two to hire six officers for middle and high schools in the district. The city will help pay for the resource officers through a federal grant. 

The decision comes at a time when the public is calling to defund police. Critics have said the only time police should be in schools in in the event of an emergency. 

The school resource officers will be on campuses starting this fall, but campuses will be empty as the 2020-2021 school year will kick off with distance learning in effect.