While the federal government has spent close to $1 billion to deploy police in our nation’s public schools, it remains “unclear how effective” the School Resource Officers (SROs) are in preventing the school tragedies that have rocked the nation for 20 years–tragedies that are used as a justification for their deployment, according to a new study from the nonprofit group Strategies for Youth (SFY).

The recent arrests of two 6-year-old students in Orlando, which prompted outrage and the firing of the officer who restrained one child’s hands with flex cuffs, mirrors a persistent problem confronting law enforcement and schools with thousands of children arrested annually and treated like “mini-adults,” experts said.

It is frequently noted that middle ground is increasingly hard to find these days. This is particularly true in the emo­tionally charged debates about how to keep schools safe. On one side are those who argue that school police-or School Resource Offi­cers (SROs)-are necessary to keep students and staff safe, particularly from the horrific shootings that have become altogether too commonplace.

A police officer kneels down face to face with a child. “I’m sorry I stole,” the child cries. “It’s OK. Just don’t do it again,” the officer replies. In another scene, a child looks upward to the officer…

It’s a new spin on a classic American game show, “Jeopardy!” But Juvenile Justice Jeopardy could end up saving lives. A new program is educating teens about the justice system and improving their relationship with police.

Omaha Police and Strategies For Youth teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club in South Omaha for Juvenile Justice Jeopardy on Tuesday.

More than a few years ago, I was dispatched to a street robbery that had just occurred. I arrived at the apartment complex and found the victim, who waved me down. He advised that three guys had just robbed him. One held a knife while the other two pulled his wallet and keys from his pockets. They fled on foot. We got a good description of the suspects: All three appeared to be Hispanic males, late teens to early twenties. One of the suspects was described as much taller than the other two.

Police officers encounter a variety of situations throughout the day and training for the wide range of circumstances is a never-ending job. Recently, statistics have shown that there may be specific reasons teens are a portion of the population that can begin with a calm situation that escalates quickly.

Evelina Cheng, 12, entered the “Youth Voices” national contest knowing exactly what she wanted to draw.

Workshop helps parents de-escalate conflict with youth.