Study Says the Existence of Black Children in School, Not Crime, Determines Police Presence

The one factor that best determines whether a school will assume greater security measures is not crime or violence — it is the presence of Black children. A new study from two academics found that even when controlling for factors such as school misconduct and neighborhood crime, the mere existence of African-American children in a school makes it more likely the institution will beef up its security. According to the study, there were greater racial disparities in arrests and suspensions of students where there are police officers or other security measures, as reported in Talking Points Memo.