The School of Hard Cops

Police brutality isn’t just in the streets anymore; it’s in our schools. As more situations of Police on student brutality begin to dominate the news, many wonder if their presence is doing more harm than good. Tune in to this all new #WWJVD as I tackle the history of School Resource Officers and gives his ideas on how to protect our schools. Do you think Police officers are necessary in schools? Why or why not?

Be nice, be nice.

a reply to: JesseVentura

if kids are getting so stupid they cant break the law under the radar like we used to then they deserve cops at there schools, but then again i see this as a way to brainwash kids into accepting marshal law as the norm. in the end i dont agree the cops in schools

I'm fine with cops in schools. They don't really do much of anything that a security official wouldn't be doing anyways. But with mass shootings on peoples minds (even though that number is declining), I don't see a problem with helping to allay peoples fears by having a police officer on site.

a reply to: Aazadan

Need I remind you of the "Toilet Safety Administration"?

How much more of this will we actually take?

I would argue that the failure of administrative officials to safeguard the well-beings of our children is ample cause to dissolve the centralized public school regime entirely, not to militarize it.

Yawn, excuse me just getting up.

If if wasn't a crime for parents to properly discipline there kids maybe they wouldnt need coos in school. Maybe if society wasn't so depressing in regards to economic freedom people would be happier and be able to spend more time at home raising their kids instead of working for pennies and then maybe the kids wouldnt be so bad an may be engaged, then the cops might not be needed. Me thinks we need to fix the problems at home in regards to economy so parents can spend more time with kids.

I am a teacher, and I appreciate our school resource officers. They investigate burglaries, bullying cases, drug crimes, write tickets for speeders in the school zones, and address issues that come with physical fights. I do feel safer with them in the building, but they also act as mentors and people for the students to go to in order to resolve problems before they reach the level of a crime. Some of our students aren't really comfortable talking things over with guidance counselors or teachers, but they will talk to the officers. One of our officers had only been working in the school 3 days when a young man went to see him, because the student thought his girlfriend was pregnant. Our resource officers are part of the city's regular police department, as well as working in the school. I enjoy their presence on campus.

a reply to: Brotherman

Children can easily be properly disciplined without committing any crimes if they've been raised the correct way to begin with. If your idea of "proper discipline" involves physical abuse then there is something seriously wrong with you, or the area that you live in.

According to one study I remember hearing about, after SROs were posted in schools in Minnesota, they found that arrests of minors skyrocketed 300% statewide. Infractions that used to be handled via a stern lecture by the vice-principal now result in handcuffs, arrest reports, jailing, court dates--the works. I'm talking about stuff like playing hooky, throwing a spit wad, getting into a dust-up on the school yard, smoking in the boys' room, etc. You end up criminalizing the usual juvenile hijinks.

I believe the real reason for putting armed cops in schools was to get the American people used to the idea of being watched over by the government every second of their lives.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn
I never said anything about abusing anyone. Its hard to define proper discipline as disciplinary actions are situation based. I am saying that the state is too involved with peoples kids and, that parents are either single parents mainly or are both at work 80% of their lives and cannot properly teach, discipline, and care for their children as much as they should. We as Americans are not doing our future generation ('s) any favors. For the record There's nothing wrong with me, I dont believe in beating children, I had an abusive step father that's still in prison for beating me and raping/ molesting my older sister. Previous to that as a child I grew up at my grandfathers farm where I learned a lot, discipline usually required picking rocks out of the field or a good swat on the ass with a belt. Later in life I learned fair discipline as a US Marine. Please don't assume I meant beat the living f**k out of a little kid, that's what the cops do apparently, that's also a polar opposite and a negation from progress.

Children are more violent and less disciplined than in the past. Yes, the school resource officer(s) is necessary. I don't expect teachers to deal with violent behavior.

Some of these cops spend their time trying to develop a network of informants and snitches. That tactic might be appropriate in dealing with the criminal underworld, but for school kids? Seriously?

Also, I know of at least two incidents in which the SRO actually killed a school kid, the ones they were supposed to protect.

Happily, numerous school districts have stopped funding these guys(at an average cost of $100k each), as they have figured out that most of these cops don't do anything productive at all.

a reply to: Pillywiggin
There was a time that we had student counselors and school nurse for the children to talk too. If a child feels they can't speak to a parent, a Pastor, or a teacher, a school annoymous hotline or website if preferable to the police being in the school.

There was a time that the teacher controlled their classroom. So they take discipline out of the hands of the teachers and give to the police. The whole time I was growing up, and teachers dished out discipline, no child had anything that was seriously hurt, including their pride.

I agree with those that say this is all about conditioning and programming. We are throwing our children off the cliff.

It is almost biblical. Return of the sacrifice of the children, and all you loving, and super intelligent, modern day parents, are standing in line, to be the first to toss your child off.

originally posted by: JesseVentura Do you think Police officers are necessary in schools? Why or why not?

no. because they're schools.

I remember having a Resource Officer at our school all the way back to K-5. It was a deputy from the local Sheriff's Department and, honestly, they were one of the nicest people I'd ever met. Still know them, in fact. I understand the situation these days with instances of police brutality popping up all over the place, but it wasn't a problem when I was younger. Then again, when I was in school you didn't have kids doing some of the things they do today.

Please take what I say next with a grain of salt because it's bound to offend, but does anyone else see this as an opportunity for people to get away with things and then blame police brutality when they're apprehended? I'm not talking about clear cases where the officer or officers acted far outside their boundaries, rather instances where stupid kids do stupid things and they get busted for it. Just a thought.

I'm fine with having an officer in schools to keep things in line, and to be on hand to help if it's needed. The only time we saw our officer is if there was a fight, or as was the case on 9/11, coordinating with the school to make sure we were all safe.

Post school shootings, especially Connecticut the cry went up, something must be done! For the Children! So they put cops in schools. Now they abuse the kids, enjoy the Orwellian Utopia, you screaming mimi parents clamored for it.

Congratulations Paul Blart. You got a promotion.
You are now a School Resource Officer.

originally posted by: starviego
Some of these cops spend their time trying to develop a network of informants and snitches. That tactic might be appropriate in dealing with the criminal underworld, but for school kids? Seriously?

Also, I know of at least two incidents in which the SRO actually killed a school kid, the ones they were supposed to protect.

Happily, numerous school districts have stopped funding these guys(at an average cost of $100k each), as they have figured out that most of these cops don't do anything productive at all.

Spot on with all of your comments.

It is important for us all to remember that the federal department of education is only 40 years old.

That is right around when we first began to see a dramatic decline in literacy.

While I agree that, as a statist/socialist indoctrination instrument, the compulsory attendance or abduction of children from their homes on a daily basis is in and of itself a crime. It is on the evidence, the measurable failure of public education, that I call for its complete repeal.

Absent an accompanying tax reform, I think most people can figure out how best to educate their kid with the $20,000/year that is currently squandered on pro forma education.

Insane that it should be nessacary to have cops in school