But many community groups believe that the presence of familiar adults is one of the best ways to calm students and help spot early signs of trouble. While no one knows how many parent patrols exist, experts say the number has jumped in the past two years. Interest in the activity grew after the 1998 school shooting in Jonesboro, Ark. Adults now patrol at least 24 elementary schools. Parents wearing maroon jackets and orange vests roam the halls of North Career Metropolitan High School in a tough section of Chicago, watching for everything from student smoking to graffiti spraying. Jefferson County schools, which includes Columbine, is considering adult volunteers districtwide to enforce conduct codes.
Advocates see a variety of benefits in the greater community involvement.
But participants also believe they will add a physical and psychological boost to students by providing an extra set of eyes and emotional comfort. A father and daughter arrive at Columbine High School to register. As students return to class today, parents will monitor the hallways. Tannis Nelson says that North Carolina parents did not handle any high-profile incidents, but smoothed the rough edges of campus life by busting kids for smoking in the bathroom or staring at them when they swore. In the Reno area, Valerie Franklin says a man who saw a parent patrol member sped off after trying to abduct a girl.