Policies on the Role of Sworn Law Enforcement Officers at School

Today, the National Center for Education Statistics released a new Data Point, Policies Outlining the Role of Sworn Law Enforcement Officers in Public Schools. This report examines formal school policies that outline officers’ roles and responsibilities and considers whether these policies align with the activities that officers participate in while at school. Findings include: In 2017–18, some 51 percent of U.S. public schools had a sworn law enforcement officer present at school at least once a week. Among public schools with a sworn law enforcement officer present at school at least once a week, about two-thirds (64 percent) had a policy outlining officers’ roles and responsibilities. Formal school policies most commonly covered the reporting of criminal offences to law enforcement agencies. Among schools with a sworn law enforcement officer present at school at least once a week, 51 percent had officers who helped maintain student discipline. However, less than half of these schools (43 percent) had a policy that included language defining the role of officers related to student discipline. The report draws from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), a nationally representative survey of public schools that collects detailed information from the schools’ perspective on the incidence, frequency, seriousness, and nature of violence affecting students and school personnel, as well as on the practices and programs schools have implemented to promote school safety.