24 DAILY NEWS – The tragic events of the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers, highlight a critical failure in police response. Officers were present but chose to remain outside for over an hour, confronting desperate parents and even handcuffing one mother who pleaded for assistance.
This incident underscores a longstanding critique voiced by police critics and abolitionists: that policing does not necessarily prevent crime or save lives. The perception of police as a “thin blue line” defending society is increasingly questioned, yet Texas authorities responded to the tragedy not by re-evaluating their strategies but by increasing police presence in schools.
### A Shift Toward Increased Policing
In lieu of substantive policy changes regarding gun control or mental health support—initiatives that could genuinely mitigate the risk of school shootings—Texas deployed additional police officers to public school campuses. According to a recent report by the New York Times, this escalation has led to a troubling rise
