I see no problem if it keeps the officer and the child safe. Might also send a message to other would be offenders. I would be interested in what a teacher who works with difficult children thinks.

 

I work with difficult kids at the high school level. They are almost all larger than I am and although I tend to have a good relationship with them, seeing them become angry is quite scary. What a lot of people don't realize is I (and other teachers in my position) signed up for this job. It is NEVER my goal to see one of my students in handcuffs; I do what I do to prevent that from becoming their life narrative. So... if there ever comes a time when I have to call an officer to take the child out it is because that is absolutely the last option I have. The safety of children is the number one priority each and every day. I have no problem with a child being restrained by cuffs or anything else the officer sees necessary because once it gets to that point they are the ones equipped to deescalate the situation and we need to allow them, trained officers, to do that to the best of their ability.

I work with difficult kids at the high school level. They are almost all larger than I am and although I tend to have a good relationship with them, seeing them become angry is quite scary. What a lot of people don't realize is I (and other teachers in my position) signed up for this job. It is NEVER my goal to see one of my students in handcuffs; I do what I do to prevent that from becoming their life narrative. So... if there ever comes a time when I have to call an officer to take the child out it is because that is absolutely the last option I have. The safety of children is the number one priority each and every day. I have no problem with a child being restrained by cuffs or anything else the officer sees necessary because once it gets to that point they are the ones equipped to deescalate the situation and we need to allow them, trained officers, to do that to the best of their ability.

 

Welcome to BGP. Great first post!

Didn't this kid have disabilities as well? I seem to remember that being a part of it at the time.

Didn't this kid have disabilities as well? I seem to remember that being a part of it at the time.

 

ADD is what I remember.

I agree unless it is an SRO. Then things are different. Especially, if the district is paying all or part of the salary

 

I believe this type of thinking is all wrong. Money should not have anything to do with it, this should all be a matter of law.

 

If a Police Officer (SRO in this case for School Resource Officer) doesn't have the legal right to restrain someone out of control due to their age then that is NOT a job for a Police Officer.

 

Obviously the School Systems, the Police, and most importantly the Legal System needs to sort this one out immediately.

I work with difficult kids at the high school level. They are almost all larger than I am and although I tend to have a good relationship with them, seeing them become angry is quite scary. What a lot of people don't realize is I (and other teachers in my position) signed up for this job. It is NEVER my goal to see one of my students in handcuffs; I do what I do to prevent that from becoming their life narrative. So... if there ever comes a time when I have to call an officer to take the child out it is because that is absolutely the last option I have. The safety of children is the number one priority each and every day. I have no problem with a child being restrained by cuffs or anything else the officer sees necessary because once it gets to that point they are the ones equipped to deescalate the situation and we need to allow them, trained officers, to do that to the best of their ability.

 

Wonderful first post @ladyluck

 

Yes, a million times yes on every word!

 

Additionally everyone, trust me when I say the last thing any Police Officer wants to do is take a kid (minor) into custody. It is a complete pain in the you know what and 99 times out of a 100 a complete waste of the Officer's time.

I believe this type of thinking is all wrong. Money should not have anything to do with it, this should all be a matter of law.

 

If a Police Officer (SRO in this case for School Resource Officer) doesn't have the legal right to restrain someone out of control due to their age then that is NOT a job for a Police Officer.

 

Obviously the School Systems, the Police, and most importantly the Legal System needs to sort this one out immediately.

 

These partnerships are great in the vast majority of cases. However, there are those instances where someone goes beyond reasonable intervention or de-escalation.

 

It isn't the money, it is who has final say and if I employ you in a school district the principal is in charge. In this instance the principal did approve, however, if the principal says not to intervene, it is on them for the consequences regardless.

 

Ten years as a principal and I never had a kid taken out in handcuffs. I had a few police officers that wanted to, but I was able to negotiate better options. A couple of times I walked the kid to the police car and the officers did not cuff them on the campus. What they did when they left, I have no idea.

 

Let me say there would have been a few cases where I might have let them at the middle or high school level, but I cannot imagine a 6-7 year old being cuffed. They eventually calm down and I might be missing a couple of computers that were destroyed, but I am willing to replace them than have a 6-7 year old who has no idea what he or she is doing to be handcuffed.

These partnerships are great in the vast majority of cases. However, there are those instances where someone goes beyond reasonable intervention or de-escalation.

 

It isn't the money, it is who has final say and if I employ you in a school district the principal is in charge. In this instance the principal did approve, however, if the principal says not to intervene, it is on them for the consequences regardless.

 

Ten years as a principal and I never had a kid taken out in handcuffs. I had a few police officers that wanted to, but I was able to negotiate better options. A couple of times I walked the kid to the police car and the officers did not cuff them on the campus. What they did when they left, I have no idea.

 

Let me say there would have been a few cases where I might have let them at the middle or high school level, but I cannot imagine a 6-7 year old being cuffed. They eventually calm down and I might be missing a couple of computers that were destroyed, but I am willing to replace them than have a 6-7 year old who has no idea what he or she is doing to be handcuffed.

 

I think we agree in part and maybe disagree in part.

 

If I am a Police Officer working in a school I fully understand the Principal is in charge and I would follow her/his lawful orders just like I would a Police Supervisor but when the point is reached that either a Police Officer decides he/she has to intervene or the Principal instructs them to intervene, at that point the Police Officer and the Police Officer only is in charge. And when we get to that point, and there should be a lot of agreement between all the parties involved about who is in charge then, the Police can't have non-restraint restrictions placed on them. Again, if handcuffs are not allowed, then police officers should not be allowed.

 

With all that said, if the Principal told me not to intervene I would secretly be cheering inside because I didn't have to get involved with something that I feel almost certain is going to be blamed on me later.

I believe this type of thinking is all wrong. Money should not have anything to do with it, this should all be a matter of law.

 

If a Police Officer (SRO in this case for School Resource Officer) doesn't have the legal right to restrain someone out of control due to their age then that is NOT a job for a Police Officer.

 

Obviously the School Systems, the Police, and most importantly the Legal System needs to sort this one out immediately.

 

Schools dont care about safety anymore, SRO should be removed from Schools, let the inmates run wild.

Schools dont care about safety anymore, SRO should be removed from Schools, let the inmates run wild.

 

I think Police Officers should be removed from situations that are not Police matters.

 

Schools need to Man Up and quit relying on Police Officers to be Bouncers.

I think we agree in part and maybe disagree in part.

 

If I am a Police Officer working in a school I fully understand the Principal is in charge and I would follow her/his lawful orders just like I would a Police Supervisor but when the point is reached that either a Police Officer decides he/she has to intervene or the Principal instructs them to intervene, at that point the Police Officer and the Police Officer only is in charge. And when we get to that point, and there should be a lot of agreement between all the parties involved about who is in charge then, the Police can't have non-restraint restrictions placed on them. Again, if handcuffs are not allowed, then police officers should not be allowed.

 

With all that said, if the Principal told me not to intervene I would secretly be cheering inside because I didn't have to get involved with something that I feel almost certain is going to be blamed on me later.

 

I think we are on the same page.

I think Police Officers should be removed from situations that are not Police matters.

 

Schools need to Man Up and quit relying on Police Officers to be Bouncers.

 

When does it turn into a police matter? After a kid kicks or punches a teacher? This type of issue is one of the reasons I ponied up and sent my kid to a private school.

I work with difficult kids at the high school level. They are almost all larger than I am and although I tend to have a good relationship with them, seeing them become angry is quite scary. What a lot of people don't realize is I (and other teachers in my position) signed up for this job. It is NEVER my goal to see one of my students in handcuffs; I do what I do to prevent that from becoming their life narrative. So... if there ever comes a time when I have to call an officer to take the child out it is because that is absolutely the last option I have. The safety of children is the number one priority each and every day. I have no problem with a child being restrained by cuffs or anything else the officer sees necessary because once it gets to that point they are the ones equipped to deescalate the situation and we need to allow them, trained officers, to do that to the best of their ability.

 

Great input! I deal with those "kids" after they turn 18 and feel the same way. Welcome or BGP!

When does it turn into a police matter? After a kid kicks or punches a teacher? This type of issue is one of the reasons I ponied up and sent my kid to a private school.

 

That is a little subjective and/or a sliding scale.

 

As a general rule of thumb I would think somewhere in middle school when boys start to become men AND all parties agree the kid should be prosecuted for his actions in juvenile court.

 

Anything short of that doesn't sound like a police matter to me.

This is a 2nd grader. 6-7 yrears old. Just not buying the need to handcuff.

 

What is an acceptable alternative? Having the RO apply a restraining hold until the child calms down? If that is the case, what if the RO has another incident elsewhere? I see lots of people condemning this action without offering an alternative.