Agreement restricts police role in Denver schools

DENVER (AP) — Amid a chorus of recent announcements that schools nationwide are adding police officers or enhancing security measures, a new agreement between schools and police in Denver stands out.

Signed Tuesday, the contract limits the role of police officers in schools, in response to concerns that schools were relying too heavily on officers to handle minor disciplinary problems.

School safety has been a hot topic in Colorado since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, which left 12 students, a teacher and two gunmen dead. The state adopted strict zero-tolerance policies in the wake of that shooting, referring students to law enforcement automatically for offenses such as trying to break up a fight or carrying a...