This study examined whether the effects of an increase in school resource officer (SRO) staffing on school crime and exclusionary disciplinary responses to school crime varied by student race and ethnicity.
Using monthly school-level administrative data, the study compared change in outcomes for 33 schools that enhanced SRO staffing and a matched sample of 72 schools that did not increase SRO staffing at the same time. The study found that increases in offenses and exclusionary reactions due to increased SRO presence were most evident for Black and Hispanic students compared to White students. Based on these findings, this study recommends that educational decision-makers carefully weigh the benefits of placing SROs in schools, given these findings that this practice differentially increases recorded school crime and exclusion from school for students of color. (publisher abstract modified)