Of course, there are also many ways for gang members to identify themselves in addition to dress, too, so uniforms do not eliminate gangs or all of their ways to identify. Still, the fact that there are some glitches and ways to beat the system should not shoot down the entire concept. Student and parent input should be received on the front-end of implementing such policies, especially school uniforms. Anecdotal information suggests that such involvement reduces non-compliance and increases ownership into the program. We think that this argument is quite weak.
Students are free to dress as they and their parents choose during non-school hours.
They also need to realize that dress codes and uniforms are a reality of the workplace in the adult world including in professional offices, retail and food stores, delivery services, government offices and service providers such as post offices, public safety employers, and so on. Although we would question whether uniforms or dress codes alone are responsible for major school crime reductions, our anecdotal information, experiences, and observations in the field suggest that they do improve school climate. We have no opposition to clear book bags or the banning of book bags in halls and classrooms, but we do not believe that these strategies, in themselves, will guarantee that weapons will not make it into the school or classroom. Naturally, someone could still carry weapons on his or her person, and we acknowledge this up front. However, it does reduce risks by taking away one method for carrying them around the school all day.