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Table 34.  Number and percentage of public schools reporting that security staff engage in specified practices at school, by type of school practice and selected school characteristics: School year 2015–16

  Carry a stun gun1   Carry chemical aerosol sprays2   Carry a firearm   Wear a body camera  
School characteristic Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of schools   Percent of schools  
All public schools 26,900   32.2   26,400   31.6   35,900   42.9   6,500   7.8  
                                 
Level3                                
Primary 11,100   22.7   10,300   21.0   15,000   30.6   2,400   4.8  
Middle 7,000   45.0   7,400   47.3   9,400   60.0   1,700   10.8  
High school 7,100   55.8   7,200   56.0   9,100   70.9   2,000   16.0  
Combined 1,600   26.1   1,600   26.2   2,400   39.7   400 ! 7.1 !
                                 
Enrollment size                                
Less than 300 3,900   21.4   3,400   18.8   4,900   26.8   600 ! 3.4 !
300–499 6,300   25.3   6,900   27.5   9,500   37.8   1,600   6.2  
500–999 11,300   35.6   10,600   33.3   14,600   46.0   3,000   9.3  
1,000 or more 5,400   61.9   5,600   64.1   7,000   80.5   1,400   16.0  
                                 
Urbancity                                
City 5,900   26.1   5,900   25.9   8,200   36.0   1,300   5.7  
Suburb 9,400   34.4   9,200   33.7   12,200   44.6   1,500   5.5  
Town 5,000   46.0   4,700   43.3   6,200   56.5   1,700   15.9  
Rural 6,500   28.8   6,600   29.2   9,300   41.3   2,000   8.8  
! Interpret data with caution. The standard error for this estimate is from 30 percent to 50 percent of the estimate's value.
1Stun gun includes Taser gun.
2Chemical aerosol sprays include Mace and pepper spray.
3Primary schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not higher than grade 3 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 8. Middle schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 4 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 9. High schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 9 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 12. Combined schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. "At school" was defined for respondents to include activities happening in school buildings, on school grounds, on school buses, and at places that hold school-sponsored events or activities. Security staff includes security guards, security personnel, and sworn law enforcement officers. Responses were provided by the principal or the person most knowledgeable about crime and safety issues at the school.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015–16 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2016.