NCJ Number
118426
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Winter 1987) Pages: 16-18
Date Published
1987
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article contends that school administrators, teachers, and students must accept responsibility and participate in providing for their own safety.
Abstract
It is generally recognized that there is at least an occasional need for law enforcement services in schools. At some secondary schools, a preventive law enforcement presence may be required on an on-going basis. Because school districts do not generally have resources to provide sufficient law enforcement personnel in schools and because the presence of a large number of such personnel would be detrimental to the educational atmosphere, it is essential that school staff and students participate in providing for their own safety. Such participation is not limited to school districts, however, as evidenced by Neighborhood Watch programs, civilian patrol groups, voluntary auxiliary police units, and drug and weapon hotlines. The experience of Baltimore's school system, which has a centrally-controlled internal school police force, demonstrates that community approaches to crime prevention can be successful in schools. Total violations of the law reported during the day in Baltimore schools have declined by over 52 percent during the past 10 years. Strong support for the school police force has come from the highest administrative level, and directives related to school safety are issued periodically to school administrators. Of equal importance is crime prevention training for school police. At many schools, parents volunteer to serve as entrance and hall monitors, an effort that helps not only with prompt identification of trespassers, but also with student discipline control.