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School-based policing programs started as far back in the USA as the 1950s and became more popular in part as concerns about school safety increased. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the scrutiny of municipal police extended to school policing, and the concerns that policing exacerbates the school-to-prison pipeline, particularly for Black and Brown children, led several districts to remove officers from their schools. However, some of these same districts have reinstated police following widespread reports of fighting and behavioural issues among students after nearly 2 years of sporadic education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper discusses some of the recent trends and highlights evidence from several systematic reviews of evidence on the efforts of school policing, including a large-scale effort for the Campbell Collaboration. A more recent evaluation published since the reviews were done is also discussed. Finally, the article highlights a report to Congress by the National Institute of Justice and concludes with policy implications and a future agenda for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police receive extensive training due to the complexity and challenges of their work. Surprisingly, most police officers receive minimal training on how to understand and interact with adolescents. The current study included data from 1,030 law enforcement officers from 24 police departments evaluating perceived readiness to interact and work with adolescents in the community. We examined overall training needs, and then tested how experience in law enforcement and position or rank impacted self-identified training needs. Rank was associated with police officer perceptions of adolescents and related training needs. Compared with patrol officers, school resource officers indicated that they believed they had the skills needed to effectively work with adolescents [ P = 0.001, odds ration (OR) = 2.5]. Beat or area patrol officers were significantly less likely than school resource officers to report feeling equipped to work with adolescents who have experienced trauma compared with new recruits (P < 0.001, OR  =  0.3) and other non-patrol police officers (P = 0.001, OR  =  0.6). School resource officers were significantly more likely to view adolescents as positive assets to the community (P = 0.003, OR  =  2.8), and were significantly less likely to understand why Black adolescents or other adolescents of colour might mistrust police compared with both new recruits (P < 0.001, OR  =  0.2) and patrol officers (P < 0.001, OR  =  0.5). Overarching training needs are illuminated by these unique data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based policing, one of the fastest-growing areas of law enforcement, requires unique skills and presents unique challenges. Specialized training for school resource officers (SROs) is encouraged by the US Departments of Education and Justice (2016) and states are increasingly making available or requiring SROs to complete training designed to better prepare them for school settings. In 2016, Texas mandated a comprehensive, 16-h training programme for SROs from moderate and large school districts. In this paper, we describe a survey conducted to assess perceptions of the first class of SROs to complete that training. We describe SROs' perceptions of the quality and content of the training, need for the training, and the self-reported impact of training on officers' daily job activities. Based on the largely positive responses and comments from over 400 SROs, we provide recommendations for policy makers considering similar specialized training for SROs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School resource officers (SROs) have become nearly ubiquitous in North American schools in the last three decades. Most research on SROs has examined their impact on violence and disorder at school, yielding mixed results; however, it is widely accepted that traditional law enforcement responsibilities comprise only one element of SROs' triad of responsibilities, which also includes teaching and counselling. Although their responsibilities are based in community policing models, little research has explored the place of community policing principles within the work of SROs. Drawing upon mixed methods data collected from school administrators and SROs in a large Canadian city, this study examines relationship-building within the context of SROs' triad of responsibilities. The results suggest that SROs follow a community policing approach and strategically foster mutually beneficial relationships to support their law enforcement, teaching, and counselling objectives. Further, as a result of their established relationships, SROs are positioned as key sources of support for school administrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The get-tough era in juvenile justice ushered in significant changes to how schools respond to delinquency. One of the most visible changes has been the increasing presence of police officers who work in and patrol schools. The purpose of this article is to argue that this practice has blurred the boundaries between schools and police and, in turn, has created confusion about the roles of educators in safety efforts and of officers in education efforts, respectively. We draw on prior literature about school safety, school discipline, and law enforcement officers in school environments to describe this confusion and its consequences. This article contributes to literature aimed at understanding the changing landscape of policing and school safety and the challenges as well as opportunities facing the police and schools in educating youth, responding to misbehaviour, and maintaining safe school environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School–police partnerships that place police officers in K-12 schools are continually forging nationwide, despite a lack of empirical evidence of effectiveness. In response to this trend, we examined the current state of such partnerships, as well as school policing practices in general. We conducted focus groups with educators and school-based law enforcement officers (N = 43) across the state of Texas. Our results revealed five key areas of opportunity for improving collaboration: recognizing the desire for cross-training; knowing who has authority when; nurturing the 'serve' component of school policing; gaining community support; and the need for strategic documentation. The present study serves a larger purpose, which is to inform the development of a strategic framework to guide school policing programme implementation. All results indicate a need for and potential positive impact of such a framework to enhance school–police collaboration and thereby improve school policing outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Officers assigned to schools are highly visible with many opportunities to communicate with citizens, though they are relatively isolated from other officers. School resource officers (SROs) are often expected to perform unconventional police roles, including counselling and teaching. Research is beginning to explore how SROs respond to different work settings and role expectations, which poses practical implications for how officers adapt and how they influence the lives of students, parents, and school staff. The present study first examined the work roles of SROs in a Midwestern region. Secondly, this study explored the relationships between SRO roles, individual characteristics, and school characteristics. SROs assigned to programmes in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri were surveyed and a subset of 20 officers were interviewed and observed during their shifts. Findings showed SROs performed both conventional and non-conventional roles. Multivariate analyses revealed SROs in urban schools and high schools performed more conventional police tasks involving law enforcement and order maintenance, while SROs who supported community policing engaged in more service, mentoring, and teaching tasks. The results highlight areas to enhance community policing in schools, particularly through selection and training of SROs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of an evaluation of a pilot training programme for Police Community Support Officers working as School Liaison Officers (SLOs) in secondary schools in two urban authorities in the West Midlands, England. Commissioned by West Midlands Police in response to their concerns about the inadequate preparation of SLOs, a training programme was co-designed by an officer from the Local Policing Unit and the School of Education at Newman University. Using focus group discussions with serving SLOs, individual interviews with key stakeholders and a short questionnaire, the evaluation reveals the complexities of community policing in contemporary urban school contexts and the challenges of professionalising the work of the SLO as a core issue in neighbourhood policing. The possibilities afforded through the Teaching and Learning Academy national professional recognition and the pivotal role of effective school-based mentorship emerge as particularly positive features of the evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]