Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico said adding police officers and guns to schools would make students “less safe,” according to previously unreported audio obtained by Texas Scorecard.
The unearthed comments came during a February 2020 interview with Texas Public Radio about school discipline and the use of law enforcement on campuses.
“Adding more police officers to our schools, adding more guns to our classrooms, only adversely impacts our most vulnerable students, in particular our black and brown students,” said Talarico.
“And so, although folks want to kind of jump to an emotional response, like putting police officers in every classroom, that, according to the research, is going to make our students less safe, not more safe.”
UNEARTHED: James Talarico said more police officers in schools would make students “less safe” and adversely impact “black and brown students.” pic.twitter.com/5lNcKyE4CJ
— Brandon Waltens (@bwaltens) September 22, 2026
The comments are not the first time Talarico has criticized increasing the number of police officers in schools.
In a separate 2019 interview that resurfaced earlier this year, Talarico said concerns following school shootings had been “channeled unproductively toward militarizing schools” and adding more law enforcement officers to campuses.
Talarico has also faced scrutiny over previous comments and actions on policing and criminal justice.
In 2020, Talarico described efforts to address what he called the “over-policing” of communities of color as a “really exciting” opportunity and praised local officials pursuing defunding the police.
He also donated $2,500 to the Austin Justice Coalition, which advocated for cutting the Austin Police Department’s budget, and later opposed a ballot initiative that would have required minimum police staffing levels.
In a 2022 speech, Talarico advocated redirecting resources from policing and incarceration toward social programs, arguing such investments could eventually “make prisons obsolete.”
Talarico, a former public school teacher himself, has also come under fire for numerous stances regarding education.
In 2022, he declared that sex education was “maybe the most important topic kids will learn in school.”
As a teacher, Talarico made his students write “Obama memoirs” celebrating his election. He also encouraged students to contact him after hours.
Talarico’s campaign did not directly address whether he still stands by the comments or what role he believes law enforcement should have in schools today.
