Policing School Problems: Examining Prevalent Issues Impacting School Safety and the Dubious Role of School Police

• In Event: What Is School Safety, and Who Gets to Have It? An Interdisciplinary Conversation

Abstract

Objectives. Shootings are often cited as evidence that schools require policing (Russo, 2020). Yet research shows that school shootings are rare and unassociated with policing, and that schools are among the safest places for youth to be protected from physical harm (Livingston et al., 2019). Further, a growing body of literature on the devastating effects of school policing on youth with disabilities and Black, Indigenous, and some Latinx youth has elucidated how school policing can in itself threaten safety and cause harm (Muñiz, 2021). Thus, the question remains: Is school policing the most effective intervention to prevalent issues of school safety?
This study examines 7 years’ worth of district wide school incident reports for one of the largest, most diverse school districts in the country with the largest school police department. The aims are to 1) understand the most prevalent issues threatening the safety of students 2) determine the most qualified personnel for addressing said issues, and 3) examine the relationship between district financial investment in school policing and safety issues.

Methods and Data. Data came from publicly available, district-wide school incident reports gathered via the electronic tracking system, SIRS (pseudonym). SIRS documents 56 types of incidents that interrupt the function of schools, students, employees, and/or surrounding communities. Types of incidents include, for example, injuries, theft, fires, loss of school keys, weapons, etc. The school district police budget was accessed via a public records request.
In total, 267,808 reported incidents between 2012-2019 were analyzed. Using district definitions for each incident type, incidents were categorized into a list of 5 overarching “responder categories” used to identify the school departments/personnel best equipped to address specific incidents in school. Responder categories included: school administrator, district personnel, school nurse, mental health provider, and police officer. Last, school police budget data was used to examine any coinciding trends in funding and reported incidents.

Results. Between 2009 and 2019 school district police received $740 million and student enrollment in the district dropped by 12.4%. Starting as early as elementary school, suicidal behavior was the fastest growing incident in the district. Accounting for approximately 20% of all reported incidents, suicidal behavior increased 258% between 2012 and 2019, thus underscoring a dire need for mental health providers. Injury related incidents requiring support from school nurses and general administrative incidents requiring support from district personnel were also common. Between 2012-19, incidents of crime and violence remained unchanged from year to year despite large annual increases in the police budget.

Significance. Findings support extant research showing that increased school policing is not necessarily associated with safer schools (Leung et al., 2018). This study adds to literature that supports alternatives to school policing and greater investment in evidence-supported violence prevention strategies that promote social and emotional health, prevent bullying, and create more positive school climate and racially equitable schools (Reynolds & Asher, 2022). Findings suggest that mental health crisis is the most prominent threat to student safety—an issue best addressed by mental health providers and not police officers.

Author

• Elianny C. Edwards, College of the Holy Cross