Like many school boards, the Denver School Board years ago asked the police for help in quelling violence in the schools. The police succeeded to some extent.

So far, so good, though it’s a poor reflection on our society, our schools, our students, and their parents. In 1975, about 1% of schools had cops onsite. By a few years ago, it was over 50%.

The presence of cops did help. But the Denver School Board was disappointed that the encounters by the school police involved a disproportionate number of students of color.

That was no surprise to anyone paying attention to crime statistics. A disproportionate number of police encounters in society at large involve people of color, and so it’s natural that it would be the same in the schools.

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