Policing America's Educational Systems

by John Harrison Watts (Editor)

Policing America’s Educational Systems, edited by John Harrison Watts, describes methods of policing modern educational settings, covering both K-12 public school and public or private colleges and universities. Using topical examples, subject-matter experts introduce the history of policing in elementary and high schools, the legal context governing educational institutions, and ways to assess risk and prevent or respond to crime, including active-shooter incidents. The opening section covers primary and secondary education, while the second focuses on postsecondary educational settings. A final section offers a theoretical approach to understanding campus crime and discusses the role of counseling and mental health in keeping students safe. A concluding chapter looks at the future of policing in education. Contributors bring both academic and practitioner experience to each topic covered, and useful features include learning objectives, chapter summaries, key terms, and discussion questions that further explore the issues and controversies covered in that section. This textbook is designed for courses in school or campus policing within criminal justice, social work, and sociology programs, and is also appropriate for in-service training for professionals involved in school or campus policing and safety.

230 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2019

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much of the book seems to be written with a law enforcement audience in mind, rather than an academic or research audience. I encountered many errors throughout the book, especially regarding references. Some chapter authors appear to have selective perceptions in their discussions of law enforcement in the nation's schools. Very disappointing that the chapter covering campus shootings argues that if Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had better security measures the tragedy would have been avoided, but completely fails to mention or discuss that a full-time SRO was on campus during the massacre and did absolutely nothing.