Many parents and school personnel are worried that the new increased police presence in our public schools will replace school management and harm the well-being of the children. There is widespread concern that the police are being called into schools to handle behavior problems of special education students not getting the services and/or assistance that they need and that their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) mandates. Children who act disruptive in class due to speech and/or hearing problems are, sometimes, not given the supporting services they need, and then they become disruptive in class. The Principal calls the police, and the child is conveniently carted away to a juvenile facility or separate building to be disciplined...when they may need no more than the services they were supposed to get in the first place. These children, as they are no longer in the building, do not get reported under No Child Left Behind, and everyone who works at the school is happy. That the child and his/her parent(s) is not is of no concern. Parents may not understand their child's rights, such as "pendancy", the right to stay at the school they are attending while the problem is being resolved.
As the Texas Association of School District Police President Lt. Jeff ward acknowledged, the police are often misused, and "The police officer should not be a shortcut to classroom management."