Dedicated police officers 'help schools feel secure'

The presence of campus police helps pupils feel more secure

Basing police officers in schools has helped to make staff and pupils feel more secure, Scottish government commissioned research has found.

It also suggested that the presence of officers helped to improve relations between young people and the police.

More than 50 "campus cops" are working in 65 schools across Scotland.

The Scottish Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have attacked the policy, calling it a waste of police resources and money.

The first campus police officer was introduced in Aberdeen in 2002.

There are now 55 officers working in schools, at a cost of just over £2m annually.

This isn't about 'policing' schools or criminalising pupils, but about intervening early to support young people Keith Brown Minister for skills

Critics of the initiative had suggested it could lead to children being subject to excessive exposure to the police and may impact on the relationship between teachers and pupils.

However, the report concluded the presence of the officers was highly valued by both staff and pupils, and viewed as helping to reduce bullying and physical violence, along with gang and criminal activity.

Campus police were found to have the biggest impact in deprived areas, where perceptions of the police may be particularly negative.

But the researchers cautioned it was not possible to make a direct link between the work of the campus officer and a drop in crime or exclusions at a school.

The study also noted the positive attitude felt by pupils towards officers based in schools did not always extend to the police as a whole.

'Fewer criminals'

Keith Brown, minister for skills and lifelong learning, who launched the research findings on a visit to Tynecastle High School in Edinburgh, said: "This isn't about 'policing' schools or criminalising pupils, but about intervening early to support young people as they develop.

"A police officer can be uniquely placed to act as a role model within the school environment, who pupils can interact with and learn from."

Liz Smith, the Conservative spokeswoman for children and schools, said the focus should be on school disruption not policing it.

She added: "The SNP is putting its efforts in the wrong place. Parents and teachers are fed up with violence and disruption in our schools.

"It needs to be stopped, not policed."

The Liberal Democrats justice spokesman Robert Brown said the report suggested there had been "no great advantage" in campus officers.

He said: "Deploying officers to schools where they are not needed will mean fewer officers on the beat.

"This will result in fewer criminals being caught and brought to justice.

"It would have been far better to spend the £2m involved in trialling this project on tackling the root causes of crime."