Police in Schools are Not the Answer to the Newtown Shooting

The Newtown tragedy will be forever imprinted in our minds, and there is no simple solution to prevent these tragedies, whether at a school, a mall, a place of worship, or at a theater. This brief is not a response to the shooting in Newtown, but rather to those who are calling for more police and more guns as a result. It draws on our collective experience and academic research to explain why police in schools are not the answer to reducing violence in our communities and classrooms, to shed light on the unintended consequences of placing more police in our schools, and to recommend what steps should be taken to ensure that all young people are safe in their schools.