When researchers typically think about the problem of policing in schools, we tend to focus on the experiences of Black children in majority- Black and Latino schools. This body of scholarship has shown that Black students disproportionately experience negative police encounters in majority-Black and Latino schools compared to other racial and ethnic counterparts. But there is another relatively unexplored phenomenon about race and policing in schools: Black students who attend majority-white schools experience higher rates of negative police encounters than their counterparts in majority-Black and Latino schools.

In this Article, I provide one of the first mixed methods empirical analyses of Black students’ experiences with school policing in majority-white schools. Using content and spatial analytical methods of school police arrest and citation data in Los Angeles County, I first show, perhaps counterintuitively, that (1) Black students in majority-white schools are more at risk of involvement with law enforcement than Black students in majority-Black and Latino schools, and (2) Black students in majority-white schools are more likely than any other group to be cited and arrested for minor public order offenses such as public disturbance and classroom disruption. These results are unexpected, so I urge readers to exercise caution and not make generalizations.

Next, I use interview data from ninety-five Black high school students who attend majority-white schools that have a police presence to show how the police impact the educational experiences of Black students. Two key findings emerge. First, police and others reinforce the idea that Black students do not belong in white spaces, and second, Black students face constant scrutiny that their white counterparts avoid. These interactions play a pivotal role in determining entitlement to education, the right to occupy majority-white spaces, the acceptability of student behaviors, and the justification of punitive or nonpunitive actions in response to established norms and rules violations.

I offer a two-step proposal for reform to reduce the footprint of polic-ing in majority-white schools. The first, a long-term goal, is for school districts to remove police from within schools. With the removal of officers, the next step is for school leaders to realign the role of officers to focus on emergencies and protecting school property, as originally intended, instead of everyday student interactions.

Continue reading Using Spatial and Qualitative Analysis to Rethink School Policing.

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