| Increased Police Presence at Scranton High School Football Game |
Have you seen WNEP's report about the increased police presence scheduled for tonight's football game at Scranton's Memorial Stadium? The report states that the number of police working the game will more than double, and that rowdy students and recent gang activity are the reasons why.
The school superintendent reportedly believes that policing the games more intensively will yield no harm, and has stated, "We want to send a message. We are not going to tolerate any nonsense at the games and we expect everyone to be on their best behavior." Parents agreed, saying that they valued the increased protection.
The school superintendent and the police are sending a message, apparently with public support. But is it the right message?
According to the ACLU, the numbers of children being arrested for minor disciplinary actions - things schools used to handle without police - are growing. Kids of color and students with disabilities comprise a disproportionate number of those caught up in this "school-to-prison-pipeline." Such arrests significantly increase the likelihood that students either will drop out of school or will fail academically.
Treating our kids - especially black and latino kids and kids with special needs - like criminals unnecessarily moves them toward the criminal justice system and away from academic success. I don't know about you, but I call that harm.
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Posted By Patrick M. Rogan on September 04, 2009 05:40 am | Permalink  |