Police Presence With in Schools: Good or Bad? In the United States, throughout history there has been numerous situations dealing with school safety and protection. Schools all across the country are now integrating police officers to provide the protection and security for teachers and students. The officers that work within the school environment are SROs or school resource officers. The overall duties they carry are to “provide law enforcement-type services to a school to encourage everyone to follow all of the school regulations” (Guerra) , prevent crime, and provide safety and security for the school. After the terrible incidents of school shootings such as the Columbine shooting and the Sandy Hook shooting, police officers within schools
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The school to prison pipeline is the policies that encourage the police presence within schools that pushes out students out of schools and into the criminal justice systems. While the increase of officers happens, it leads to more students being arrested due to zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is the policies upheld within the school to prison pipeline that requires the school officials to give harsh punishments that is usually suspension or expulsion when a student breaks the rules no matter the circumstances. Senator Richard Durbin stated, “This phenomenon is a consequence of a culture of zero tolerance that is ... depriving many children of their fundamental right to an education” (Elias). This policy within the pipeline is increasing more students to enter the criminal system and acts as a gateway to do so. The policy criminalizes minor acts of misconduct and prevents more children from an education and more to be suspended. Along with the pipeline itself, Secretary Arne Duncan says the nation underestimates the traumatic impact it has on children, whether they’re being subject to it or witnessing the force and arrest in the schools (Brown). A South San Francisco High School students states “The presence of a police body would make things worse than they already are. I think that it's intimidating to have that type of presence and students would feel a lot of pressure. …show more content…
It was found that more than 94% officers had students report threats to them, over 90% prevent between 1-25 violent acts in a year, 24% took firearms away, 87% confiscated knives and other weapons, and 67% prevented assaults of staff faculty and students. Although these officers were able to protect the students, they also contributed to the many arrests of them. In the United States, about 69,782 and more students are arrested all across the nation in the year 2013-2014 [Which Students Are Arrested Most in School? (U.S. Data by School)] (Which Students Are Arrested Most in School? (U.S. Data by School). Even though police officers are protecting the students of the United States, they are also a of the increasing amount of students entering and facing the criminal justice system, even those who are in elementary levels. Another South San Francisco High School student, Stephanie Arias, states “It could be a positive thing, but from what I’ve seen it's only been negative because it enhances the criminalization of our youth especially in our schools” (Arias). Like this student, many do believe that it can be a positive thing, but their uncertainty comes from the many cases and incidents where police officers had mishandled and abused their power to negatively affect
The school to prison pipeline is the policies that encourage the police presence within schools that pushes out students out of schools and into the criminal justice systems. While the increase of officers happens, it leads to more students being arrested due to zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is the policies upheld within the school to prison pipeline that requires the school officials to give harsh punishments that is usually suspension or expulsion when a student breaks the rules no matter the circumstances. Senator Richard Durbin stated, “This phenomenon is a consequence of a culture of zero tolerance that is ... depriving many children of their fundamental right to an education” (Elias). This policy within the pipeline is increasing more students to enter the criminal system and acts as a gateway to do so. The policy criminalizes minor acts of misconduct and prevents more children from an education and more to be suspended. Along with the pipeline itself, Secretary Arne Duncan says the nation underestimates the traumatic impact it has on children, whether they’re being subject to it or witnessing the force and arrest in the schools (Brown). A South San Francisco High School students states “The presence of a police body would make things worse than they already are. I think that it's intimidating to have that type of presence and students would feel a lot of pressure. …show more content…
It was found that more than 94% officers had students report threats to them, over 90% prevent between 1-25 violent acts in a year, 24% took firearms away, 87% confiscated knives and other weapons, and 67% prevented assaults of staff faculty and students. Although these officers were able to protect the students, they also contributed to the many arrests of them. In the United States, about 69,782 and more students are arrested all across the nation in the year 2013-2014 [Which Students Are Arrested Most in School? (U.S. Data by School)] (Which Students Are Arrested Most in School? (U.S. Data by School). Even though police officers are protecting the students of the United States, they are also a of the increasing amount of students entering and facing the criminal justice system, even those who are in elementary levels. Another South San Francisco High School student, Stephanie Arias, states “It could be a positive thing, but from what I’ve seen it's only been negative because it enhances the criminalization of our youth especially in our schools” (Arias). Like this student, many do believe that it can be a positive thing, but their uncertainty comes from the many cases and incidents where police officers had mishandled and abused their power to negatively affect