A Baltimore school police officer was filmed hitting and kicking a teenager early this month while another officer watched. The video went viral, and the school system moved quickly to suspend the officers and press criminal charges. The chief was also put on leave. Critics say this is not an isolated incident. Baltimore City is the only jurisdiction in Maryland with its own school police force, separate from the police department. Child advocates say that force needs a complete overhaul; they say it doesn’t hire or manage well, and officers tend to arrest kids for run-of-the-mill misbehavior. What’s happening that is not caught on camera? Are cops in Baltimore schools doing more harm than good?
Our guests:
Karl Perry, Chief School Supports Officer for Baltimore City Public Schools
Akil Hamm, Acting School Police Chief for Baltimore City Public Schools
Katherine Rabb, Education Policy Director of Advocates for Children and Youth and Co-Chair of the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline
Jennifer Egan, a juvenile public defender in Baltimore
