Effectivness of the School Police Officer Program

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the effects of the “School policeman” program that is being implemented in the Republic of Serbia on safety in schools. Data on crime in schools from the official police evidence as well as attitudes collected during the survey of 572 members of school staff are analysed in the paper. The data on crime, based on the results of two-factor analysis of variance, are used to indicate the change of frequency in the number of crimes under the influence of activities of the school policeman. On the other hand, the surveyed respondents stated their opinion on perception of their own safety before and after the school policeman was engaged, as well as the effectiveness of his activities. There has been a significant increase in number of criminal offences in schools in which the school policeman was engaged. Nevertheless, a very high percentage of the surveyed respondents declared that they felt safer after the school policeman had been engaged in schools. There has been no studies that dealt with real effects of police officers’ activities in schools in Serbia and wider so far. This paper, based on statistical data (objective indicators) and attitudes of school staff (subjective indicators), reveals that the “School policeman” program has achieved positive effects ensuring the increase of overall level of safety in schools.