Policing in Schools
According to a recent report by The Runnymede Trust, there are over 900 police officers placed in UK schools today. Recently rebranded as ‘safer schools officers’ (SSOs), these officers pose a threat to the safety and well-being of young people, with a disproportionate impact on Black, Asian and racialised ethnic students.
Institutional racism in the police force and horrific instances of violence such as the ‘Child Q’ case remind us how dangerous it is to bring schools into an even closer relationship with the police, who appear to have a poor understanding of the young people they interact with, as well as little clarity on their roles and jurisdiction.
When an SSO is placed in a school, it can cause young people to feel less safe, not more, and the likelihood of them being profiled, surveyed and criminalised increases. One youth worker said, “Students need support and protection, not suspicion and strip searches”.
With no sign of a change in direction in London, we want to build on the work of others, such as the Manchester-based No Police in Schools campaign, and pressure those in positions of power to re-think the use of policing as a ‘solution’ to the challenges they may face in schools.
Join us as we work to transform our schools into places of learning and care, not surveillance and criminalisation.
Campaigns
Amnesty England: Letter to the Government calls for police to be removed from schools
Change.org - No Police in UK Schools petition
Reports
Race and Racism in English Secondary Schools
Articles
Guardian - Police Forces Deploy 683 Officers in Schools
Liverpool Echo - Police Officer Dragged Boy