Cops in Worcester Schools

The Affect of Police in the Schools

The Worcester Public School announced there will be two additional police officers assigned to the Worcester Public high schools and some middle schools. The police officers are sometime known as school resources officers (SRO). In response to criticism that the schools are being militarized Superintendent of Schools Melinda Boone said that the SRO are not armed sentries and will not be the primary disciplinarians. 

 This raises questions about what are the responsibilities and limitations of the cops in the schools.

The answer seems to be that they are there in order to give the impression to voters that sometime is being done about public safety. There have been studies about the effects of police officers in the schools. Every single study has reached the same conclusions.

1.       Neither public safety nor safety in the schools has generally improved stationing police in the schools.

2.       The people perceived that they are safer with the police in the schools.

3.       The likelihood for students to be arrested or enter the criminal justice system for what comes down to a judgment call by a cop is increased.

4.       The police had a good effect in terms of risky conduct is when there is significant influence of gangs among the students.

There does not seem to be gang activities in Worcester Schools. The issue of gangs is a City wide issue with solutions extending beyond anything the school system can directly address and appropriate City resources should be directed to it. This issue is another that there is very little City government transparency.

School Committee woman  Tracey Novick should be applauded for raising the issues of the effectiveness of the police in the schools and the nearly half million dollars that it will cost the City for a program that studies have shown will not have a significantly good impact. There is likelihood that the program will have a detrimental effect on some students.

The politicians are doing this for the affect of public safety on the voters. The right wingers such as Ms. Briancharia, Lukes, and Gaffney whom some have accused of being in the racist Tea Party, are using the schools as a wedge issue based on race. The other politicians are afraid to look soft on crime. It reminds me of George Wallace when he said “No one is going to out segregation me again.”

There does not seem to be much transparency on the issues. This is to be expected on anything that deals with the Worcester Police. How are the police being used; what is the cost; how effective is the program; what is the criteria for ending the program are all questions unanswered and probably never asked.

There are other questions such as how the officers assigned to the schools are chosen and what additional training will they be require to take. The picture of the cop in Tennessee handcuffing a special needs child’s hands behind his back is disturbing and should be avoided here.

I have not seen anything last year or in previous years that warrant treating our children as criminals. It might be time for more courageous leadership in a City in transition.