Police in Schools

School shootings are becoming more and more common every year. This happens so much that our schools have drills for the students to do in case a shooting takes place, but by then it’s too late for anyone. The reality is that the students are hoping that the shooter doesn’t come to their room. But if the schools had trained officers with guns to defend the students during times like this I believe that we would cut school shooting down close to zero. Too many kids and teens have died due to these school shooting events, and the worst part is the shooter doesn’t even need a reason to do what they do. So imagine you are in a school with no protection and a shooting occurs. And you can hear the shooter getting closer and closer, outside your classroom students are getting shot. Kids and teachers hope they are not next on the shooter’s list. This is the brutal reality of what a student’s final moments can look like when a school shooting occurs. But don’t just take it from me here are some survivors of school shootings describing that moment.(Miah Cerrillo: 11-year-old school shooting survivor called 911, smeared blood on herself, played dead | CNN)|Florida school shooting: A survivor’s story – BBC News|(10 Survivors Of School Gun Violence Share How It Still Reverberates Through Their Lives | HuffPost Life). After I read these news reports I am convinced that schools need to have trained armed police guards in their schools. Even when police do arrive on the scene of a school shooting they don’t just rush into the building with guns and hope to find the shooter, and it makes sense because they have to come up with a strategy to stop the shooter. But while the police are planning how to get inside safely, unarmed teachers and students are trapped in the school waiting for someone to save them and praying that the shooter doesn’t get to them first. 

As a former high schooler, we have drills if someone comes into the school, but the drill is heavily flawed. If you train the students on where to go if a shooting takes place you are possibly teaching the shooter how to find everyone. Plus most of the time they will just close the door and try to pretend that they are not in the classroom at that time, which is also a flawed concept. Because the attacker already knows that students are in school during that time of day, not to mention if it’s a student themselves who is the attacker. For example, the Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, who was a former student at Parkland knew the landscape of the school and where students and teachers would likely be. Schools need to get rid of this drill because it doesn’t help anyone and all it does is leave people waiting to get slaughtered. So how will police make schools a safe place for students and teachers? 

Trained police officers will always be available and in action, if something occurs. This will already give a shooter something to think about if he plans on shooting a school. And we can give them dogs trained to detect illegal things that students may carry in their bags. Metal detectors will also need to be in place to detect guns, knives, and any other harmful products. Remember this new system is not a guaranteed foolproof system, there will always be new problems but hopefully, this will stop school shootings. This will also help the new generation not fear the police as much and the same thing for the police. Police officers in schools will also play an important role in maintaining order and discipline on the school campus. In instances where students violate school policies, rules, or regulations, police officers are tasked to enforce the law. That is, when students engage in criminal activities, police officers are called upon to handle the situation. Therefore, when students know that police officers are present, they are aware that there are consequences for their actions, and they are more likely to comply with school policies and regulations. Because the world is a dangerous place and even though parents want to keep their children from danger, it may come pounding on their doorstep. And as Americans, we can’t keep schools unprotected, at any moment a crazy gunman can walk in and take out everybody, not just kids. It is our job as a community and as a country to protect our youth, and their bright ideas for the future. 

 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 topic has 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 their dog will search for 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, security in all airports doubled so why hasn’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 that 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 sense because just in the last year 2022 alone there have been 27 school shootings, and 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 teacher’s 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 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 deescalation and negotiation in fights between students without any physical touching on 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. Some will argue that the presence of police officers in schools creates a hostile and intimidating environment for students. However, this argument fails to consider the positive relationships that can be built between police officers and students. This will teach students later in life to be less likely to be hostile to law enforcement, and more likely to know and be comfortable with the protocol done by law enforcement if they were to be stopped by law enforcement. It is important to recognize that police officers in schools often must undergo specialized training to work with young people effectively.  This training will specialize in de-escalation, officers will work with trained negotiators that will teach them how to use their words to solve most problems. And will also have classes by trained martial artists that will show officers how to disarm a student with a weapon without using excessive force and causing unnecessary harm. 

This will help ensure that police officers in schools are able to create a positive and supportive environment for students. While there are certainly valid concerns about the presence of police officers in schools, the benefits of having a law enforcement presence in schools far outweigh the potential drawbacks.  For example ((4) Police Officer Slams S.C. High School Student to the Ground – YouTube). This video shows a student that was having an issue with their teacher, the teacher had called the police on her but she still wouldn’t follow the officer’s instructions. The officer then uses brute force and overpowers the student out of her chair and arrests her in class. 

And this is the exact reason why these officers will have different training. Officers that protect high schools, will have the training that will emulate situations like this. In addition to that as a part of the training we will have the students vote on officers they want or officers, they don’t want in the school. In the fall, for officers to fully complete their training, the students have to feel comfortable around the officer and if the students say that the officer didn’t pass then they will not be eligible to work there. This is a good method because it will show students that their vote matters.(Poll: Why 80 Million Americans Didn’t Vote In Year Of Record Turnout : NPR). In this article, it says that 80 million eligible voters did not vote last year and their reasons for not voting were not being registered to vote 29%, not being interested in politics 23%, not liking the candidates 20%, feeling their vote wouldn’t have made a difference 16%, and undecided on whom to vote for 10%. So when the students graduate high school and are able to vote, hopefully, their experience with voting for police to protect them will encourage them to go and vote in the real world and lower the number of non-voters in the next election. 

(Keeping Schools Safe: Case Studies and Insights – Google Books). This article talks about how security wouldn’t work in school, but their argument is terrible for the simple reason that their version of security is just having cameras in the school. And my policy is that police will physically be there to keep the kids safe from gunmen and other harmful things.  Another way that we will keep schools safe is by using metal detectors this will prevent students from sneaking in weapons and other objects they can use to harm students. 

As a way to educate students who have a negative view of law enforcement, there will be a class that students will attend to educate them on how to deal with certain situations. For example on how to deal with an aggressive cop and educating students on their rights as citizens and minors. This will keep students from getting taken advantage of by corrupt police and not being intimidated by the badge. And we know this is important by looking at the Central Park Five case. This case is about a lady who was raped in Central Park at night, and five African American boys who were in the park that night would be accused and pressured, by corrupt police into making up a false story about how they raped the lady. They would go on to spend their adolescence in jail with grown men where they would go on to be taken advantage of by the prisoners and the system. They would later have to admit that they did the crime to be released, well all except one his name was Korey Wise. He never admitted to the crime because he never did it, the man who actually did it years later came out admitting his crime, and Kory was released. (Central Park Five: Crime, Coverage & Settlement (history.com). All of this is to show how important it is to be educated in the system, and also one of the many reasons “citizens” mainly the African American community don’t trust the police. Hopefully having police in school will show students that not all police are bad and that they can trust them, but also be aware that there are corrupt police and we need to know how to safely deal with them. The debate around police officers in schools has been raging for years, with some individuals arguing that their presence is unnecessary and even harmful. However, the fact remains that police officers play an essential role in ensuring increased safety around schools. These professionals are trained to respond quickly to any situation, making them an invaluable asset during emergencies.

One of the primary arguments for having police officers in schools is their ability to respond quickly to threats. In the event of a school shooting or other dangerous situation, time is of the essence. Having a police officer on-site can significantly reduce response time and increase the chances of minimizing harm. This means students and staff members can feel safer knowing they have someone who can step in immediately if needed. Moreover, having police officers stationed at schools provides an added level of security that deters potential perpetrators from committing violent acts on campus. In conclusion, Police officers in schools will help keep students safe, build positive relationships between law enforcement and young people, and work with administrators and teachers. Officers in schools are not there to be a warden or somebody that is just there to be security. They are there to make a difference teach young people the importance of having good officers in the community and most importantly keep everyone in school safe.  

In conclusion, having police in schools overall is more positive than negative. The officers are there to protect and serve the students and the faculty in the schools, there will be classes that will educate students on the law and things to do if you get stopped or pulled over. It will show kids that cops are not all bad and can help the black community to not be so scared of police. And finally, it will help prevent school shootings and will help keep kids safe.  

Resources 

(Miah Cerrillo: 11-year-old school shooting survivor called 911, smeared blood on herself, played dead | CNN)|

Florida school shooting: A survivor’s story – BBC News|

(10 Survivors Of School Gun Violence Share How It Still Reverberates Through Their Lives | HuffPost Life).

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)

(4) Police Officer Slams S.C. High School Student to the Ground – YouTube).

(Poll: Why 80 Million Americans Didn’t Vote In Year Of Record Turnout : NPR)

(Keeping Schools Safe: Case Studies and Insights – Google Books)

(Central Park Five: Crime, Coverage & Settlement (history.com)