381. It’s just a number, right? Wrong. There are 817 students enrolled in LBHS. Let’s assume half of those students are female. You’re left with approximately 409 students. I conducted a survey and one of the questions was: “If you were/are a female, would you personally feel comfortable reporting something like sexual harassment or assault to a male officer? Why or why not?” Thirty students, faculty, and community members filled out the form; of those, only two said they would feel comfortable; the rest said they wouldn’t or don’t think others would. Now let’s apply that 28/30 to the 409 female students. Approximately 381 out of 409 female students would, in theory, be uncomfortable with reporting sexual harassment or assault to a male officer. This number proves that it isn’t just the desire to keep a friendly face around that’s pushing this movement, but a deep-rooted fear that female students won’t come forward when needed.

WHY THIS CHANGE IS HAPPENING

As of recent, Officer Ashley Krotine, one of LBUSD’s two current SROs, is being promoted. She’s being promoted and replaced by Officer York. While this promotion is a testament to her skill and dedication, it leaves a serious gap: both SRO positions will now be filled by men. Without a female officer on campus, a significant number of students, particularly female students, may feel less comfortable coming forward about sensitive issues like harassment or assault.

The reason officers get cycled out in the first place is due to a policy that has officers in special roles shift positions every four years. While this sounds wonderful, it’s become a point of concern for students, parents, and community members in terms of SROs. The point of contention is that if the officers only serve four years, how can they build the necessary bonds with students, needed in order to be officers that students can trust and go to for help? In my opinion, the policy isn’t bad, but it isn’t perfect either.

DATA

A study titled “The Association between the Percentage of Female Law Enforcement Officers and Rape Report, Clearance, and Arrest Rates: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of California,” analyzed data from 2013 to 2016 across 499 Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERAs) in California. It found that a 5% increase in the proportion of female officers within a department was associated with a 6.2% increase in the rape report rate. At the University of Virginia, a study found that a 7.4% increase in female officer representation correlated with a 13.6% increase in domestic violence reports.

STUDENT OPINIONS

I took the liberty of interviewing a few ninth-grade students, starting with Smith Alshuler. I asked Smith how she felt about SRO Ashley Krotine being replaced. She responded, “I’m really upset. Having Officer Ashley here is because, as a woman, she makes everyone feel so much more comfortable. It’s easier to talk to her.” When I asked if she knew the change was happening or when she found out, she said, “No, I had no idea. I found out just yesterday during tutorial (tutorial is like a study hall where students choose where to go based on what they need ). Her initial reaction? “I was shocked and really upset.” As for the impact of the change, Smith said, “Definitely negative. I think a lot of people will feel like they don’t have someone they can go to anymore.” When I asked if she would feel comfortable reporting something like sexual assault to a male officer, she said, “No. I don’t think he’d truly understand, and I’d worry he wouldn’t believe me or take me seriously.”

I then went around the lunch table and asked Rio Wisely, Jordyn Flynn, and Stella Samson what qualities they want in an SRO. The responses were reliable, understanding, [ability to] get the job done, kind, informative, helpful, and supportive. The students felt that Officer Ashley Krotine- LBUSD’s current female SRO- was all of those things combined. It’s evident that students have formed serious relationships and bonds with Officer Krotine, and to remove her would put students in an uncomfortable position if they need to report something or just need someone to talk to. In my opinion, high school is hard enough as it is, and removing a friendly face won’t help anyone.

WHAT I’VE DONE

I’ve been fortunate enough to have some fantastic teachers and students who have supported me in my efforts to tackle this issue. I brought the idea to LBHS’s Health Equity Club, where we created posters to raise awareness. Beyond that, I shared a poster with a QR code to collect data for this article, posting it around school, on my personal Instagram story, and on our school newspaper’s Instagram story. I also spoke at a school board meeting and am preparing to speak at the City Council meeting on the 10th. Recently, I went to the police department, asked them a few questions about the issue, and expressed the students’ need for a female SRO. Overall, I plan to do everything in my power to ensure that 381 never becomes our reality, here at LBHS.

MY PLAN

I want to alter the policy, without dismantling it completely. I think that a possible solution to the problem would be to suggest an amendment to said policy. I think that the Laguna Beach Police Department should consider gender representation when assigning SRO roles. Where two or more SROs are assigned to a district, efforts should be made to implement both male and female officers working alongside each other. Additionally, I believe that when selecting SROs, priority should be given to officers who represent the minority gender within the SRO team—even if they have recently served in the role—so that all students feel represented and supported.

Sources: 

Dabbs, Ivy. Student AND Faculty Opinions Regarding SRO Officer Ashley Krotine’s Removal. Google Forms, Accessed 4 June 2025.

Laguna Beach High School. 2024–2025 School Profile. Laguna Beach Unified School District, 2024, https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1736292290/lagunabeach/emvpxcscjdoyxuv88cmi/2425LBHSSchoolProfile.pdf. Accessed 4 June 2025.

Lee, Youngeun, et al. “Law Enforcement’s Impact on Help Seeking and Engagement with the Criminal Legal System after Rape: A Nationally Representative Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 65, no. 6, 2023, pp. 837–846. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37694578/. Accessed 4 June 2025.

Tropp, Rachel. “Study: Hiring Female Police Officers Helps Women Report Violence, Sexual Assault.” UVA Today, 21 Sept. 2023, https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-hiring-female-police-officers-helps-women-report-violence-sexual-assault. Accessed 4 June 2025.