'Catastrophic': Parents Share Fears Over Plan To Pull Police From Secondary Schools

Parents have been left reeling over a decision to remove almost 400 specialist police officers from London secondary schools as a result of budget cuts.This week it was reported that education leaders have asked the Metropolitan Police to reconsider the plan, which would involve transferring 371 safer schools officers into neighbourhood policing teams.In a letter to the police force, seen by HuffPost UK, Sam Jones, chair of The Waltham Forest Secondary Heads group, shared his “grave concern”.He described the move as “a significant step backward” and is worried the removal of these officers from schools will mean “vulnerable students may become prey to exploitation and, in turn, perpetrators of crime”.Jones also told Sky News: “We think that it will increase violence, potentially increase bullying and weapons-related incidents.”Parents are also worried the move could be ‘catastrophic’Carolyn Owlett has a 13-year-old who goes to school in Hackney and said she thinks it’s a “terrible decision” to take police officers out of schools. “We have a safer schools officer and I think he’s been extremely busy dealing with issues inside the school, and outside, after school kicks out,” she told HuffPost UK. “Knife crime is rife in our area.“All the children have access to knives because they order them from internet sites ... Because they go through a letter box, they do not need to be signed for. It’s too easy to access them.”Knife crime has been rising over the years – particularly in London. The number of sharp instrument offences recorded by police in the capital rose to just over 15,000 in 2023-24, compared with 12,786 in the previous year.Owlett told HuffPost UK that parents are having to work “harder than ever in the economic climate just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table” which means children are being left to their own devices for stretches of time.And this is when they might get into trouble – particularly with gangs, who offer a sense of family and belonging, as well as food or material goods. Police records suggest children as young as 12 are being recruited.Emma Soye, a researcher at Queen’s University Belfast, previously interviewed teachers who revealed that “in the absence of parents or youth services, gangs could take advantage of vulnerable young people outside school”.With police no longer operating in schools, teachers and parents are worried things are about to become worse. Parents think the loss of police officers in schools will also place extra strain on teachers, who are already stretched thin.“Removing police will mean more pressure on teachers who are already overworked, to try and navigate issues that go way outside the remit of being a teacher,” added Owlett.“The knock on effect and impact this is likely to have on teachers’ mental health is huge.”She added: “Whilst I don’t think the school police officer stops all crime, I think the removal altogether would be catastrophic.” Removing police will mean more pressure on teachers who are already overworked, to try and navigate issues that go way outside the remit of being a teacher." Elizabeth Hines, a psychologist at Academized.com, said there’s a safer schools officer (SSO) attached to her 13-year-old’s secondary school. “I know some kids actually feel reassured by it. Especially if there are issues in or around school,” she told HuffPost UK. “They’re not always visible every day. But the students know who they are and they’ve built a bit of a presence over time.”Discussing the proposal to move the officers out of schools, the mum said she has “mixed feelings”.“I get the idea to put more officers back into neighbourhood policing. Our communities definitely need that presence too. But taking nearly 400 officers out of schools feels like a big shift, you know. I worry it is done without really thinking about what will fill that gap.”The mum added that schools can be like “pressure cookers”.“There are real issues that come up,” she said. “So it’s good to have someone trained to handle those situations calmly and professionally.”It’s clear some boroughs rely on the officers much more than others.Valentina Rebeschini, whose child is in Year 8 at a Richmond-based school, said: “While I’m not sure if there’s a designated officer inside my daughter’s school, there are often police officers stationed outside after school. “As a parent, I do feel reassured seeing a visible police presence around the school – it creates a sense of safety, especially with everything we hear in the news these days.”She added that the idea of not having officers in schools “does concern me”.“While I understand the need to support neighbourhood teams, I think it’s important to maintain a protective presence around schools too,” she added.“Teens are vulnerable in so many ways, and schools should feel like secure spaces, for both students and parents. I think many other parents would likely share the same concerns if that visible presence were to disappear.”Meanwhile Andy Coley, author of Leadership is a Skill, has a 15-year-old step-son at school in Greenwich. He told HuffPost UK he didn’t know that the role of safer school officer existed and added “police should have a pastoral presence in schools”.What happens now?The move comes after reports that the police force will have to lose 1,700 officers, PCSOs and staff due to a ”£260m hole in its budget” for the coming year.HuffPost UK understands the safer school officer role will be replaced with dedicated ward officers focused on children and young people, which will be integrated into neighbourhood teams.Glen Pavelin, frontline policing commander for neighbourhoods, told HuffPost UK: “Children should be able to travel to and from school and study without the fear of violence. This is where we know young people are most at risk of violence and gangs, and it is where our officers will continue to be, ensuring that they are able to quickly respond to any incidents or concerns in the community.“Although officers will no longer be based in schools, they will join local policing teams where they will retain strong relationships with schools to ensure that any reports of knife crime can be dealt with quickly.”He said officers will also be working with local organisations and other youth-based establishments to safeguard young people, prevent victimisation and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) beyond schools.Related...'It's Triggering': UK Teachers Weigh In On Adolescence’s School Episode'I Don't Need To Listen To You': Female Teachers Are Witnessing A Rise In Classroom MisogynyI've Been A Teacher For 20 Years – These Are The 2 Things I Now Dread About My Job