5 Steps Schools Must Get Right When Arming Campus Police

Establish Officer Requirements

Officers should receive extensive training in live firing work and role playing exercises. In many cases, an hour requirement is used to determine how much training officers need before they can bring guns onto campus. Training should focus on active shooter response, de-escalation tactics and gun safety when interacting with students.

It’s necessary to state the obvious: school police have different roles than traditional police officers. Building relationships with students and improving their sense of safety is the biggest part of their job. That should never change.