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Why Chicago Public Schools need more
Protective Measures Against School Violence
Paul Cotton
Baker College Online

Why Chicago Schools need more Protective Measures Against School Violence
Gun violence and the right to carry weapons have been two topics of heated debate over the last decade. From the violent burglaries to school shootings, the need for protection increases. The solution to end or reduce violence is not an easy task. Should society employ the right to carry law more universally or should more subtle measures be employed to combat violence? Even the president of the United States, Barack Obama, proposed the question, are we are we really doing enough to keep children …show more content…

Police officers on school grounds are a vital key to securing safety. This is definitely evident in Chicago Public Schools. In 2010, there were 122 high schools in Chicago Public Schools, but only 3 percent of them were willing to give up both their assigned officers (Kaba & Edwards, 2012).
Although there are many advantages to having police officers and armed school officials, opponents believe that such addendums only create more problems. First, there is the issue of costs. A coalition called Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) cited the following information: “Chicago Public Schools spent $51.4 million on school-based security guards, about 15 times more than it spend on college and career choices” (Kaba & Edwards, 2012, p. 1). To many opponents, funneling more money on an already fiscally challenged system doesn’t make sense. Then, there is the issue of the school-to-prison-pipeline (STTP). Many critics feel that if students are constantly at the hands of law officials, then they will not receive a fair punishment and will be pushed into harsher sentences for small infractions. The STTP is a philosophy predicated on the fact that harsh school discipline and law enforcement intersect to feed students into the prison system (Kaba & Edwards, 2012). Moreover, information from the Consortium on Chicago School Research suggests the similar views:
It is the quality of relationships between staff and students and between staff and

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