Funds for Police in US Schools Disappearing

Tuesday 27th of February 2007 12:28:45 AM

For many school districts in the United States, police presence is familiar. Since a string of school shootings in the past few years, most school districts now have metal detectors at all entrances, and some have hired police to walk the halls in order to protect those who are attending the schools. But federal funding is running out, so some schools have had to work with local police departments to arrange part-time police monitoring. Other schools have hired hall monitors in order to save money.

Office Turique Patrick, or ‘O.P.’ to the students of Valley View school district in Pennsylvania, USA, works part-time for the school district to make sure that students are safe during the school day. He wears polo shirts instead of uniforms in order to maintain a friendly appearance, but also carries a gun and handcuffs just in case there is an emergency. When not at the school, Patrick resumes other duties as a police officer.

Patrick seems to have a good relationship with the students he protects. “They do come up to me and ask questions. They come to me about family prob¬lems, boyfriend-girlfriend stuff or what should they do if they get a detention,” he said.

But as money for security in the school system dries up, school districts will have to look for other ways to protect students. Having police there part-time, hiring hall monitors to check bathrooms and hall passes during class sessions, and making sure that metal detectors are working at all times are ways to save.

Keeping students safe is a job that police officers like Patrick take very seriously, even if they don’t wear police uniforms all the time. “Some people think I just sit here. They say, ‘You got the cushy job.’ That’s not true. Some kid might be lost out there,” Patrick said about his job.

(c)Thomas Eggar, www.sxc.hu