Increased attention has been given the safety of students and school staff members following highly publicized acts of violence within schools, including the mass shootings at Robb Elementary School in 2022, Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, and Columbine High School in 1999. In response to these tragic events, schools have implemented various…

Although research on the effectiveness of school resource officers (SROs) remains mixed, the number of SROs in the U.S. continues to grow. We interviewed 18 SROs, SRO supervisors, and school leaders from exemplar programs to explore SRO role perceptions. Analysis revealed three themes: (1) SROs support a safe learning environment via multiple…

Since the 1950s, police presence in American schools has increased in the form of school resource officers (SROs). Some schools have elected to staff SROs on their school grounds, while others have chosen to avoid police presence at their school site. It is poorly understood how school administrators make decisions about staffing SROs in their…

Following increased attention to racial disparities in police use of force, national conversations have focused on the role of law enforcement, including in public schools. This study examines transparency with regard to the presence of law enforcement in schools. Leveraging novel school-level and district-level data from the state of Florida,…

School resources officers (SROs) have increasingly become a staple in United States K-12 schools, and research on their roles and efficacy is prevalent. However, policy recommendations, when left unexamined, may perpetuate majoritarian narratives that harm marginalized students. This project investigates the majoritarian and counternarratives…

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) describes in shorthand the problematic relationship between some students' school experiences and their subsequent incarceration. One summer, in response to vocal concerned parents, a suburban school board adopted a zero-tolerance policy for smoking and vaping. Through the combined effects of the zero-tolerance…

School resource officers (SROs) and school security professionals (SSPs) have increased presence in schools, yet little is known about how they view the importance of their relationships with students and the broader school climate. This article is part of a larger study of an online professional development module on trauma-informed care and is…

School resource officers (SROs) play a critical role in establishing a safe learning environment for students across the nation. Although there are several studies related to SROs' perceptions regarding their roles and responsibilities, a thorough literature review found no studies that looked specifically at the relationship of SROs' gender to…

It takes a force of 18 well-trained professionals to keep the 165-acre urban campus of Tulane University secure and as trouble free as possible. (Author)

The University of California's systemwide coordinator of police services is also chief of police on the Berkeley campus. Student aides work in police departments on all the campuses. (Author/JLF)

University police departments have come a long way in the past decade, and one of the reasons is professionally trained, well-educated personnel. (Author)

Currently, there is no standardized level of training for school security officers. Recommends training that includes 40 hours of training before assuming a security assignment, plus an additional 40 hours each year of on-the-job training. Security people should be self-motivated. (MLF)

Discusses ways to provide vital safety to schools without inhibiting the learning environment for students. Describes security efforts at Orange County, Florida schools, such as using video cameras, school police officers, and access-control systems. (EV)

The development of school security forces in the 1950s is shown in historical perspective. Short-term and long-term impacts of security operations are discussed in relation to the school administration, local law enforcement agencies, and the adolescent students. Predictions are given for school security operations in the 1980s. (JN)

An Arizona high school's security program includes using teachers as security personnel for campus events, cooperating with juvenile probation officers, and assigning local police to daily patrol and night events. (MJL)