School Safety

 Students in most New York City public schools have a daily routine before entering class. First, on entering the building, students swipe their ID cards. Next, they pass their bags through the scanning machine. Then, they themselves pass under a metal detector to ensure they’re not carrying any concealed, illegal weapons. Meanwhile, they’re surrounded by police officers—School Safety Agents—at every turn.

Naturally, reactions to this routine may differ. Some students may feel pressure as they go through scanning, while others may be indifferent to the situation. Each student has a different experience with this process, including feeling pushed around by adults. However, despite the stress, they know these measures are taken for a good cause. Without this system in place, there could be major issues in the building—such as school shootings—that we’d all like to avoid.

Increased Security

School Safety Agents were introduced to the public school system due to the rise of crime in the 1950s. In addition, disciplinary policies needed support from SSA programs due to the fear of the increasing violence and drug use in many inner city communities. According to a report by the Advancement Project—a non profit dedicated to promoting justice and equity for the underserved—this disconnect can be traced to the 1980s, when the War on Drugs fueled the fear of public education and led to crackdowns on “failing schools,” high-stakes testing and harsh punishment for negative student behavior. As a result, metal detectors and other security measures were increased in public schools, paving the way for SSA programs. 

School Safety Agents

Now, one might ask, what exactly are School Safety Agents? However, there is no specific job description for these personnel. However, the Congressional Research Service describes them as: “Law enforcement officers assigned to work with schools and community-based organizations.”  In some places, SSAs are also called school police officers, or employees of the local police department. In others they are employees of the school district’s independent police department.

However, like with every other job out there, there’s the good, and there’s the bad. According to police officer Padjett who works in the school system, “Our job comes with its pros which is to help people out, whether it is to walk them out, show them a place in the school they don’t know, or give new students the school’s instructions.” She makes it clear that officers provide genuine care around school. However, “It also comes with its cons,” Padjett explains. “Students have a bad image of us. Sometimes we have to break-up fights, and from one day  to another, we don’t know if we’ll have a good or bad day at work.”

​Apparently, a downside of policing is the constant fights that occur due to student aggression. “It’s sometimes challenging to work with a team because everybody has different personalities,” officer Padjett attests. The team also has communication issues that do more harm than good. “The most common problem we encounter is when the students are rude, talk back, and don’t obey us.” she claims. These issues show that not everything is rainbows and sunshine for law enforcement. There are barriers that need to be broken down around students and authority figures alike.

Padjett says their role around the school is, “To show that not all police officers are bad.” Police officers do their best to have a positive impact on the community. However, she also identified some cons that come with the job, and the most popular one is that students see them as a threat. Although they are here to help, students may think otherwise.

A Controversial Role

According to QPA Assistant Principal Craig Richardson, “They do a great job because of the way they deal with people. They take the job really seriously and they are great at it.” Where the subject of dealing with students is concerned he says, “They usually monitor students with this program called ‘Explorers Training’ where they come in and indirectly help the students,” which displays another side of school safety personnel. They monitor students to ensure their wellbeing, and provide safety and security with their presence.

On the negative side, a Queens Preparatory Academy student shared that she had been double checked several times after passing through the scanning machine. “I had a perfume and a drink in my bag. The officer on the scanning machine told me to not enter with my drink with a mean tone because it was glass,” she claims. “They also checked my bag, took all my personal stuff out, and made me throw out my coffee, and because of all that I was late to my first period class and got in trouble. I think all this was unnecessary and it made me uncomfortable.”

Overall, the presence of police officers is viewed positively or negatively, depending on who you ask. Some believe officers are doing their job to maintain the status quo and ensure everyone on campus is safe and secure. As one student of Queens Preparatory Academy says about their presence, “I think they are effective and it makes me feel safe.” According to another, “They are out of control and threatening to me.”

However, although opinions are divided, considering how vulnerable most schools have proven to be of late, most can agree that the presence of School Safety Agents in our schools is necessary at this time.