How should school police officers interact with students with disabilities?

Police forces should not discriminate based on disability and school police officers should receive training about interacting with students with disabilities. Unfortunately, school police officers may not have clear mission established by the school district, creating confusion on whether they are expected to maintain school safety and enforce criminal laws or take on quasi-educational duties. 

It is generally not best practice for school police officers to be responsible for implementing students' Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) nor for school personnel simply to use law enforcement to manage or address student behavior in the classroom setting. Still, if a school has a practice of engaging law enforcement regularly, it is wise for a parent to inquire about the training the officer has received on disability-related issues and ensure that the officer is aware of any important tips to prevent an officer from triggering or misinterpreting a disability-related behavior.