A survey of police officers assigned to secondary schools in Scotland has found that as well as cutting the number of police call-outs to schools, the officers help to improve communication between the police and troubled youngsters, build up greater trust and tackle problems before they escalate.
The study, entitled The Scottish Campus Officer: Past, Present and Future, was co-authored by academics from Glasgow Caledonian University and Robert Gordon University.
The researchers interviewed most of the 55 police officers (known as campus officers) based in 65 Scottish secondary schools.
One campus officer told them: “When I first went to the school, within three months I had charged two kids and detained another two. I have not charged a kid for a school offence in over 18 months.”
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