Working With Local Police

One discipline resource that is available to the school administrator is the local police department. As with any discipline tool, there are pros and cons to its effective use and it is a good idea to be aware of them before you employ the police in your discipline strategy.

Depending on the size of your local police department, there may or may not be a particular officer assigned to work with the schools or given the title "Juvenile Officer." If you do find yourself dealing with a particular individual, you must be aware that police officers, like all people, have their own idiosyncrasies and personality traits. Remember, a police officer is not an educator. And while a Juvenile Officer may be the closest thing the police have to an educator, he or she has probably not been trained as a teacher and often does not understand how or why we try to look at most situations as "learning situations."

We have found it best to develop a job description for the police officer who will be working with students and staff before an actual crisis situation. This should be done cooperatively with the officer. Taking the officer to lunch before school starts in the fall can be valuable for both educator and officer. It not only promotes good will, but it also permits you to lay some ground-work just in case a situation does come up during the school year. (This can be an excellent time spent for a new school administrator or dean!)

Be aware that sometimes when you involve the police, you are turning control of the discipline situation over to them. You may simply want to have a student "talked to" by the police as part of your planned "punishment." The police officer, however, in speaking with the child, may "open a file" on that child. The protocols of police contact may include a whole series of events that are far beyond what you originally envisioned.

When the police begin to work with a child as a result of your request they may automatically initiate contact with the child's parents. By all means, do your utmost to contact the parents first to let them know what is happening. There is nothing quite so embarrassing as the police knocking on the door telling a surprised mom and dad "the school sent them."

During an "investigation" the police may uncover another student with whom they need to speak. Don't be surprised if they go ahead and call or visit that student at home without telling you about it first. It might be a good idea to have a policy or an understanding stating that parents must be notified prior to a police interview with a student.

The police can be your best friend when dealing with a particularly tricky or nasty discipline problem. However, one word of caution: don't overuse or abuse their help. Be aware that the police department may view educators as being too lenient with students or they may see themselves as a dumping ground for the dirty work that schools don't want to do. While both the school and the police department may see themselves as divorced from "local politics," it certainly never hurts to not forget their "help" on a case. This is another good reason to take your friendly police officer out to lunch!

One especially troubling new problem encountered by some schools is the proliferation of threatening anonymous e-mail messages to the school or the school's staff. Police departments are becoming more adept at dealing with these e-mails. You can read more about dangerous or threatening e-mail by clicking here.

The National Association of School Resource Officers has a website with a wealth of information for schools and police departments alike. The mission of this association is "to break down the barriers between law enforcement and youth by establishing better communication about the legal system."