Letter to the editor: North Allegheny school police proposal a step in the wrong direction
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Superintendent Dr. Brendan Hyland’s proposal to establish a police department and install officers at North Allegheny schools is a step in the wrong direction for NA. Introducing armed officers in schools increases the rates of death, poor outcomes, and fear and anxiety among students. Certainly the safety of our children is paramount, however this is not the answer. When looked at holistically, this plan is likely to do more harm than good.
Hyland’s proposal is based on the hypothesis that an armed officer in every school would prevent loss of life. Empirical studies show this is not the case. A 2023 Brookings Institute study showed that the presence of an armed officer increases gun-related offenses in schools. A 2021 study by the University of Albany found that school resource officers “do not prevent gun-related incidents.” A similar study by the Journal of the American Medical Association that year found that “the rate of deaths was 2.83 times greater in schools with an armed guard present.”
A National Association of School Psychologists study found that students in constant contact with armed officers note increased fear and anxiety that interrupts and harms the learning process, as well as creating an echo chamber in which the perception of safety is decreased and students feel less safe.
Our resources should be directed at preventing bullying, treating mental health, building strong relationships with our students, teaching gun safety and identifying threats before they walk into a classroom with a weapon. These are the tools that prevent school shootings. Marching NA toward an authoritarian security state is not the solution.
Ryan Relyea
Franklin Park