The Runnymede Trust spin is what you would expect from a Racial Equality think tank. It starts with a preconceived set of ideas and works its 'findings' to fit the narrative. I think NPCC should call its bluff and withdraw the SSO's and deploy them in other areas of policing. Let's face it we need the numbers out there. Then when schools call asking for assistance with pupils we pass on the number of the Runnymede Trust and advise that they seek out the 'experts' there.

Of course the tragic reality is that there will be no extra money for schools. If these recommendations were to be adopted, the people to fill the void left by the SSOs would not be teachers, but criminals, who are not reliant on extra funding for their work, They would be delighted that their commodity runners were now immune from the risk of being searched - an exploiters' charter. I hope that all those who funded this work are proud of having helped to add yet another volume to the growing library of works leaving police officers feeling utterly worthless despite dedicating their lives to the welfare and wellbeing of their fellow citizens.

What Eton and Harrow do not have any police officers in their schools shock horror!! Police in the schools where the BAME count is high along with the poor neglected white youth is where they are going to do the most good. A positive role model a safeguard against the drug gangs attempting to recruit yet more victims/members. No wonder the Runnymede trust hates the very idea of the police in the schools. Less work for their cohorts in the Guardian reading social worker class.

Didn't know some forces still had schools officers. Bit of a throwback luxury. Who deals with all their force mispers, mental health and domestic jobs.

It really seems that the police are the only adults in the room. Here we have childish, agenda driven nonsense by groups who refuse to accept reality, whilst police politely explain the reality to them, which they still refuse to accept. Yet if the police stopped going to schools for all the sorts of things that they’re expected to, they would then be vilified for ‘not doing their job’ by these same bunch of silly, irrelevant toddlers