Over Policing In America’s Schools
I think that in general, people would agree that we need the law enforcement sector to keep the society safe and in order. This applies to situations in the broadest sense, and schools are not exempt, especially these days when violence and other dangers are very possible.
Looking at things from another point of view, however, it is quite understandable to be concerned with overdoing things in terms of policing our schools. This is actually not an old issue. Parents, students, and other concerned individuals have already pointed out the “fact” that in some cases, we might be putting too much emphasis on the presence of police officers in our schools.
Take this feature article written by Marian Wright Edelman. Her opening lines paint a very alarming scenario:
Imagine being four years old and put into handcuffs because you and your friend wouldn’t take a nap in your pre-K class. Or being five years old, handcuffed, and taken away from your school by ambulance to a hospital psychiatric ward after throwing a tantrum in the kindergarten room.
This is just too far out isn’t it? As I was reading those sentences, I couldn’t help but shake my head – another alarmist article! The next paragraph really shocked me, though:
These scenarios might sound far-fetched, but both are true stories that captured the local media’s attention after they happened to children at their New York City public schools. The over-policing of public schools - not just in New York, but around the country - is one more threat to our nation’s children at risk of entering the pipeline to prison.
They actually happened? According to the writer, these two incidents are real – alarming examples of what is happening in New York. Again, this is not a new thing. The New York Police Department has been the subject of many controversial incidents in the past 10 years, ever since they took on a significant role in school safety. They have been described as making schools seem like “police states.” They have been accused of handling children too roughly – among other things.
My question is this: are American schools (not just in New York) being over policed? Are our schools, especially those which are considered “high risk,” being over populated by police officers and are they caught in a stranglehold?
What do you think? Do you have any experiences with regard to school safety officers and “over policing?”
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Posted on March 7th, 2009 by Deborah J Thomas
Filed under: Administrators, People Involved, Security, Students
I cant believe this article. The whole articlw is based on alledged 2 incidents. So cops and security in all schools are based on two stupid cops?