The Effects of School-Based Law Enforcement Programs: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Evidence-Based Crime Policy I

Abstract

Although schools remain statistically safe places for students compared to their out-of-school time, a considerable amount of crime, aggression, and misbehavior occurs in educational settings. Given the crime and disorder at schools in the U.S. and in other nations, it is not a surprise that police would devote resources toward partnering with educators to develop strategies to combat it. This paper reports on a systematic review of research on the effects of crime prevention strategies used by police at primary and secondary schools. Studies were included if they reported on a specific school-based, non-education strategy with strong police involvement, and focused on crime prevention at a primary or secondary school. The study also had to use a randomized or quasi-experimental design, and include at least one outcome measure of crime, misbehavior, or perceptions of safety. Finally all studies were available through March 2015, without regard to document type (published or unpublished), nation of study origin, or language. We present results across all interventions. We then report results for moderating variables including: (1) type of intervention; (2) type of evaluation design; and (3) school level (primary or secondary).

Authors

• Anthony Petrosino, WestEd

• Trevor Fronius, WestEd

• Sarah Guckenburg, WestEd

• Hannah Persson, WestEd

• Kevin Earl, University of New Haven