Police in School

In case of a school shooting, the presence of police officers armed with guns could allow for a quick response and immediate action to neutralize the threat. This would limit the number of casualties and save lives. Deterrent to potential attackers: The presence of armed police officers in schools could also act as a deterrent to potential attackers, who may be deterred from committing a crime in a place where they know they will face armed resistance. Proper training and evaluation: Police officers are thoroughly trained in the use of firearms and undergo regular evaluations to ensure they are fit for the job. This will minimize the risk of the weapon being misused and ensures that only those who are qualified to handle firearms are allowed to carry them. Police officers are responsible for the safety of the community, and their role in schools is no different. They are trained to protect and serve, and carrying a gun is part of that responsibility. The police in school’s topic have been an ongoing debate for several years now, and it continues to draw mixed reactions and opinions from various people. One school of thought argues that having police officers in schools increases the safety and security of students and teachers while another suggests that such a move leads to increased incidents of violence and discrimination. (Facts About Armed Guards in Schools Statistics – Safe and Sound Security (getsafeandsound.com). In this article, they talk about the percentage of high schools that have armed police officers in their schools. “From 2013 to 2014, 43% of all public schools had one or more security staff present in their buildings. This number increased to 56.5% in the period from 2015 to 2016. As for armed guards present in school, or security staff routinely carrying a firearm, statistics show 28.0% of all schools had armed security guards from 2009 to 2010. “ 

(School Shooting Tracker: Counting school shootings since 2013 (nbcnews.com).

This article says “110 people have been killed and 162 injured by gunfire in 57 school shootings, according to a school shooting tracker NBC News is making public. As of March 29, 2023, it has been two days since the last school shooting.” (What research shows about police in schools – Chalkbeat). This article talks about what different states’ stances are on police in schools. States like Dever said they didn’t want police in their schools, while New York and Chicago say they need police to give the students safety and order. And I can understand why Dever thinks like that but school shootings are a part of this generation’s problem, and they are getting more and more frequent. And any parent would rather their kid be in school and come home, rather than their kid goes to school and never comes back because there is a school shooter in the building and no one to save them. 

If the police were allowed in schools, this is how it could work. We would have a metal detector to see if there are any dangerous items in the kid’s bag and have a police officer with a guard dog at every entrance. The dog is there to sniff and detect if the kids have any weapons or illegal drugs on them. Also, if the shooter happens to fire the gun before the officer can grab theirs the dog will be able to take down the shooter. And if the shooter thinks to just wait and come in when the doors are closed, they will be sadly mistaken. The doors will be automatically locked, and you will have to show your school identification before they let you in. After that the officer and its dog will search you before you go into the school. And most people will say that you are treating the kids like prisoners, but to that i say how many more kids will have to die in a setting where they are supposed to feel safe. After 9/11, securities in all airports doubled so why haven’t that happened for high schools or for schools in general? After 9/11 there have been 0 plane hijacks, and you know why? The answer to that is because they have strict rules for kids and adults to make sure they board the plane safely and to make sure they have nothing harmful that can cause other passengers to die. 

Officers in schools logically make since because just in the last year 2022 alone there have been 27 school shootings, there has only been one plane hijacking that has taken place on American soil. Schools will continue to fail their students by not making the rules they need to secure the children’s and the teachers safety. And the fact is that schools don’t want kids to feel like their environment is unsafe to be frank they already are. In my school we had everything that I mentioned today. We had search dogs in our schools and metal detectors at the front. And have never had a school shooting in the entire history of the school. But another school that didn’t have all that stuff their school their school was shot in and two students were injured. (Heritage High School: Boy taken into custody after Virginia school shooting that left 2 wounded, police say | CNN). But if schools had trained law enforcement in the building at all times this might have never happened. Mind you the police will have to create a new branch for these officers that will specialize in how to deal with children. They will have classes that will teach them descalation and negotiation in fights between students without any physically toughing either student or whoever is in the argument. They will also learn how to disarm people without using lethal force, and basically teaching them lethal force is the last thing they need to do. But most importantly they need skills on how to talk with kids and they need to instinctively know when to be a friend and when to be serious. This in the long run will help kids see cops more as a big brother than a evil racist villain. 

References

(Facts About Armed Guards in Schools Statistics – Safe and Sound Security (getsafeandsound.com)

(School Shooting Tracker: Counting school shootings since 2013 (nbcnews.com).

(What research shows about police in schools – Chalkbeat).

(Heritage High School: Boy taken into custody after Virginia school shooting that left 2 wounded, police say | CNN)