Almost one thousand police officers are operating in schools across the UK, figures show, with a charity warning of a “deeply concerning” and “normalised” police presence. Some 979 police officers are based in schools, according to a Freedom of Information request to 45 police forces by the Runnymede Trust.
Half of Safer Schools Officers (SSOs), or their police force-based equivalents, are based in London. Research suggests that officers are more likely to be in schools in areas with higher numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals.
Such areas are also likely to have higher numbers of black and ethnic minority students, the Runnymede Trust said. The race equality think tank said placing SSOs in schools “can facilitate the school-to-prison pipeline” for many black and ethnic minority young people.
