Photos: A look at school resource officers

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OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes and asst principal Peniel Dany talk with a 6th grade student as they try to resolve a situation at Crawford Long Middle School during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned to Atlanta Public Schools as school resource officers. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes responds to a situation involving a student at Crawford Long Middle School during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officers Taylor Neufeld (left) and Kellon Reyes share a laugh in the cafeteria at Crawford Long Middle School, Friday, October 30, 2015. The APD officers are assigned as school resource officers at the school. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Taylor Neufeld (right) and Crawford Long Middle School principal Lisa Hill talk with a student, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned as school resource officers at the school. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Taylor Neufeld (right) and Crawford Long Middle School principal Lisa Hill talk in the cafeteria, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned as school resource officers at the school. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes interacts with students in the cafeteria at Crawford Long Middle School during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned as school resource officers at the school. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Principal Lisa Hill and Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes talk with students at Crawford Long Middle School during lunch, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned to Atlanta Public Schools as school resource officers. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Taylor Neufeld talks with students at Crawford Long Middle School during lunch, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned to Atlanta Public Schools as school resource officers. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Taylor Neufeld talks with students at Crawford Long Middle School lunch, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned to Atlanta Public Schools as school resource officers. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes, assigned to Crawford Long Middle School is shown during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officers Taylor Neufeld (left) and Kellon Reyes walk with Crawford Long Middle School principal Lisa Hill during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. The APD officers are assigned as school resource officers at the school. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

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OCTOBER 30, 2015 ATLANTA Atlanta Police Officer Kellon Reyes and asst principal Peniel Dany talk with a 6th grade student as they try to resolve a situation at Crawford Long Middle School during the school day, Friday, October 30, 2015. APD officers are assigned to Atlanta Public Schools as school resource officers. We take a closer look at policing in public schools in the wake of the recent incident in Columbia, S.C. where a white, male sheriff's deputy dragged a 15-year-old student, who is black and a girl, from a classroom. The incident, which was recorded, has touched off a national debate about excessive force in schools. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen called the incident "horrible" and discussed her concerns that hers is the only metro district with police officers who patrol the schools. Other school districts have their own officers who are trained to deal with students. In recent years, local school districts have beefed up their school resource staff and are spending more money on security, even as state data shows a decline in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

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