School Crime/Security/Response

Holly Hurban

Crime in the schools first became evident to law enforcement and school personnel as early as the 1950s. By the 1960s, state and local authorities viewed school safety as an important goal, but eventually, this goal became secondary in light of budget constraints and other salient police agendas. Schools were faced with a choice as to whether they would incorporate a police presence into the educational environment or leave discipline up to existing staff by expanding their duties. Before the mid1970s, police were contacted mostly in response to specific incidents at local schools. Since then, preventive efforts combining police and educators became necessary in the face of a growing crime rate in schools. In the final decades of the 20th century, the heightened visibility of youth gangs, juvenile gun violence, and school shootings saturating the media prompted state and local law enforcement to permanently partner with schools and communities to ...

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