In December 2012, just days after gunman Adam Lanza left 26 children and staff dead at Newtown Elementary School, a Gallup poll found that half of Americans thought “[increased] police presence at schools” and “increased government spending on mental health screening and treatment” would be effective in preventing subsequent shootings, the Huffington Post reports. One year later, a look at legislation enacted around the country reveals that some state governments have allocated more funds for mental health care in school, while others are working to increase or better utilize the police presence on campuses. A small number of states have even embraced both approaches as a means of making schools safer, despite warnings from civil rights groups that having police in schools can be especially harmful to students with mental health issues…
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