School officers across the state turned to heavy-handed tactics on children, often in response to minor misbehavior, our investigation shows.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    It’s excessive even in college. A few years after I graduated, they renamed “campus security” to “campus police” to support increased training, equipment and certifications. It also results in more heavy handed responses

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      campus security

      But campus security sounds like something completely different, security guards do not have the same legal authorizations police have.
      I have absolutely heard about school security, but never about school police.

      • Jiggle_Physics@quokk.au
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        2 days ago

        bigger campuses now have them licensed as police, and they are legal to execute police powers within the jurisdiction of the campus it is common.

        • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Wow that’s insane!
          So they are NOT real police, but more like a private police force?
          I seem to be getting mixed messages here.

          • Jiggle_Physics@quokk.au
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            1 day ago

            if you are on campus property they have REAL police powers, so don’t just treat them as enhanced security guards. Lot’s of hospitals here have them now too

            • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              don’t just treat them as enhanced security guards.

              I would never dream of traveling to USA again, so no danger of that.

          • smh@slrpnk.net
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            1 day ago

            It probably depends on the college. At my college, they’re real police. I’ve taken training alongside them (for example, a class on responding to a mental health crisis), and trainings they’ve taught (ex: deescalation).

            The campus police want us to believe that they’re focused on keeping everyone safe while minimizing the students’ exposure to the legal system. They’re paid by the college and the college wants to retain students. They’ll send students to campus programs (counseling, primarily) instead of arresting them, that sort of thing. And there are problems on campus where you want some sort of security: walking back to your car at night after a creepy encounter with a patron, someone backs in to your car in the parking garage, someone overdosed in a bathroom.

            I do believe them that they’re less harsh than the city police, but that’s not saying much.