The Impact of School Police Reform on Student Safety and School Experiences

Executive Summary

Background

Following widespread calls for police reform in 2020, school districts across California made critical decisions about school policing. This study examined what happened when districts removed police from schools—the first comprehensive research of its kind. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods, WestEd compared 60 schools from 6 districts that removed Police during 2019–2021 with 120 matched comparison schools from 30 districts that retained police, tracking outcomes through the 2021–22 school year.

Key Findings

Schools that removed police saw significant improvements in how students experienced their school environment. Students reported stronger caring relationships with staff and more meaningful participation in school. Both effects represent medium but substantively important impacts on student well-being. Contrary to concerns, removing police did not lead to increases in violence victimization, harassment or bullying, substance use, delinquency, or suspension rates (overall or by race/ethnicity). Finally, schools with higher student-to-counselor ratios (averaging 488:1, nearly double the recommended 250:1) that retained police showed higher rates of student-reported violence. However, schools that removed police were protected against this negative effect, regardless of counselor ratios.

Read the Final Report HERE

“Brady Lists” by Rachel Moran

Interesting article on “Brady Lists” by Rachel Moran

INTRODUCTION

Brady lists, named after the Supreme Court decision Brady v. Maryland, are lists some prosecutors maintain of law enforcement officers with histories of misconduct that could impact the officers’ credibility in criminal cases. Brady and its progeny require prosecutors to disclose exculpatory evidence within the government’s possession or control to defendants in criminal cases. This includes evidence that could impeach a witness’s credibility. Evidence that a police officer involved in a criminal case has, for example, previously written a false police report, lied in court, or used racial slurs during an arrest may be exculpatory because it casts doubt on the officer’s truthfulness, credibility, and impartiality. Brady lists originated from this disclosure obligation: the lists ostensibly allow prosecutors to keep track of, and disclose to defense counsel when necessary, information that negatively impacts officers’ credibility.

Access the full article HERE

How police departments’ loosely-written and poorly-enforced rules enable off-duty police misconduct

NOTE: This is a multipart series.

Across the U.S., police officers moonlight in bars, clubs, and private security jobs with little oversight. A CBS News and Howard Center investigation reveals how weak policies allow misconduct, corruption, and threats to public safety to persist.
— Read on www.cbsnews.com/projects/2026/moonlighting/off-duty-police-officer-misconduct/

NRF | The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2025

The survey was conducted online among senior loss prevention and security executives in the retail industry from June to August 2025. A total of 70 retail companies responded to the survey, representing 168 brands across a variety of retail sectors.

— Read on nrf.com/research/the-impact-of-retail-theft-violence-2025

Trends in Fatal vs Non-Fatal Shootings – Quality Policing

Trends in Fatal vs Non-Fatal Shootings – Quality Policing
— Read on qualitypolicing.com/trends-in-fatal-vs-non-fatal-shootings/

New York Bans Anonymous Calls to Child Abuse Hotline — ProPublica

New legislation will require callers to the state child abuse hotline to identify themselves. ProPublica’s reporting in 2023 found that many anonymous callers made false allegations that led to intrusive investigations of families’ lives.
— Read on www.propublica.org/article/new-york-bans-anonymous-child-welfare-reports

How New York City Got Safe | Washington Monthly

Back from the Brink is a historical reconstruction of the New York crime decline, told from inside the institutions responsible for safety.
— Read on washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/01/how-new-york-city-got-safe/

Two Judges on the Sixth Circuit Determine that a Man Reaching for a Holstered Weapon was Not a Threat – Objectively Reasonable

We hold that police officers with probable cause to search a car may inspect passengers’ belongings found in the car that are capable of concealing the object of the search.
— Read on www.objectivelyreasonable.com/2025/12/26/two-judges-on-the-sixth-circuit-determine-that-a-man-reaching-for-a-holstered-weapon-was-not-a-threatis-wearing-a-full-face-ski-mask-in-the-month-of-may-during-the-day-in-a-high-crime-neighborhood-sus/

Get the copy of the Court Decision HERE

Statistical Transparency of Police. STOP

Executive Summary

House Bill 2355 (2017) mandates all Oregon law enforcement agencies to submit officer-initiated traffic and pedestrian stop data to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC).

The resulting Oregon Statistical Transparency of Policing (STOP) Program, housed at the CJC, was created with assistance from the Oregon State Police (OSP) and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). This is the seventh annual report to the Oregon Legislature by the STOP Program examining data submitted by law enforcement agencies.

Table 0.1 reports descriptive statistics for

Tier 1 (100+ officers),

Tier 2 (25 – 99 officers), and

Tier 3 (<25 officers) agency stops.

Most drivers stopped were white and male. All minority races combined accounted for almost 30% of stops by larger (tier 1) agencies and a smaller portion, just over 20%, for smaller agencies, reflecting differences in urban and rural driving populations.

Read the report here: