Eric, I can only respond from my own personal experience. I don't have the knowledge or research to have an overall view as to how security impacts our educational system as a whole. It is a long story, but when I asked to be transferred to Paine Alternative (Lincoln), after a two day visit I had never seen a school environment so out of control. I had to approach our Central Administration, and advocate that they transfer me immediately....I knew that I could not start a school year off with what I experienced in two days. The gangs had control and their influence created an unsafe school environment. Prior to my arrival a teacher had been assaulted. In order to gain control over the safety of staff and students, I had students arrested for fights, assaults, disorderly conduct, and threats to a staff member. It was the only time in my career that I had to long-term suspend two gang members that continued to disrupt or were calling shots to encourage friction and intimidation. With that being shared....we only had a daily average attendance of 50 students. When students challenged me for being to strict....I always responded that I was committed to every student to provide a safe environment where no student had to fear school. At the end of the year we had students come up with a new name for our school and that is how we became Lincoln High School. I knew that in order to create a new culture, we needed a new name. The previous name had a horrible image within our community.
The chief of police who I have known for years...is very involved in the community and very proactive. He contacted me and shared that he was prepared to go into partnership with the school district to place a School Resource Officer at Lincoln due to the number of calls they responded to for serious issues. SRO's go through training before they are placed in a school. Our SRO's have also been trained in ACE's along with staff. I would read the farewell letter that Kevin sent out to staff that Chris was referring to, to hear what he was taking with him as he moved into his new promotion. Pre ACE's....our arrests were significant, now they are very minimal at best. However, the presence alone is an intervention, and the SRO is developing positive relationships with students and gaining that trust. Students will come and ask to see Matt and they will ask for help on issues that are not school related, but are impacting the stress level of the student. Matt our SRO has ACE's in his life and he shares his story with students to show them that they don't have to let the ACE's keep them from building resiliency and hope. Matt comes from a single parent up bringing, mom was an alcoholic, and he was told as a young man that he would never finish school or amount to anything. I believe he was told this by a teacher when he was struggling from the stresses at home. He graduated with a four year degree with honors. A great story for our kids to hear and to feel the empathy and value that Matt demonstrates.
In our environment with students with high ACE scores, you are going to have occasions when you have two hundred students...that someone breaks the law. When that happens, we sit down with the student and seek the cause of the action. An example....I have had two incidents of marijuana possessions at school. In both cases, the student revealed some personal issues that they were dealing with and as we acknowledged that their burden of stress was a very heavy burden to carry by themselves, both kids agreed to schedule an appointment with a counselor at our health center, and both kids shared that their pot use was the only way they new how to deal with their stress. In both cases the student was under the influence so I sent them home for the rest of the day....and I did school discipline....in school. With our SRO, he shows his empathy by sharing that he appreciates their honesty, that he still had to file the charge but he doesn't want to add to their stress by arresting them and taking them to JJC. The student understands the charge, and they appreciate Matt not hand-cuffing them and taking them in. Our relationship with these two students has grown stronger and I track how they are doing on their stress. when I track how they are doing, I take small steps and start teaching them about their brain and how stress impacts their learning. Then we talk about some strategies that can be a healthier option.
You'll have to forgive me for long responses....it is a challenge to address great questions with brief responses. Long story short, it is how you use security guards or SRO's that would determine their effectiveness. If they are used to project their authority and be used in a punitive role, then I can see how that would support the research. I'll never forget what Peter Blauvelt, national expert on school safety (15 yrs. ago) shared at a training I was at. The most powerful prevention for school violence...recognize students and share that you are happy to see them in school...especially students that isolate themselves. It doesn't matter what kind of security system you have...nothing is as important for school safety as to build positive relationships with students....and focus on the ones that can be difficult. Over time, they become a part of your shadow and feel valued and appreciated.