{Margate Police Department}
By Nina Culver
Margate families send their children to schools like Margate Elementary, expecting the highest level of protection, not an under-resourced experiment. Replacing or supplementing SROs with guardians signals that cost savings trump expertise. It risks eroding trust: students may feel less safe around unidentified armed adults, while parents worry about liability when something inevitably goes wrong.
Florida’s own data shows the guardian program has “come without some problems.” Yet instead of doubling down on professional policing, mental-health support, threat-assessment improvements, and proven prevention strategies, districts like Broward keep expanding a program born of political expediency rather than evidence.
Margate deserves better. School safety cannot be outsourced to the lowest bidder. Students need sworn officers who train daily for high-stakes situations, build relationships with kids, and adhere to professional standards—not part-time guardians whose primary job may be teaching algebra or serving on cafeteria duty.
The Guardian Program was sold as a bold response to tragedy. In practice, it has become a cautionary tale of undertraining and overconfidence. Margate parents and educators should demand a return to proven professionals: real police officers who protect schools the same way they protect our streets—with full training, full accountability, and zero shortcuts. Our children’s lives are too precious for anything less.
Nina Culver has lived in Margate for 15 years. She is a candidate for Seat 5, a State-certified child advocate, and an intentional community advocate for the residents of the City of Margate.
Got News in Margate? Send it to Margate Talk. Don’t Miss Reading NW Broward County’s #1 News Sites: Coconut Creek Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.
