NCJ Number
165725
Date Published
1996
Length
36 pages
Annotation
A commission appointed by the New York City mayor in June 1995 examined the level of crime in the city's public schools and the ability of the Board of Education's Division of School Safety (DSS) to ensure children's safety.
Abstract
The commission gathered information by means of document reviews; hearings; and interviews with hundreds of school staff, parents, advocacy groups, police, and school safety officers. The commission concluded that DSS is poorly managed and directed; has failed to operate an efficient, effective security force in the schools; and has failed to accomplish basic goals for children's protection and safety. The commission recommends that the New York City Police Department consult with the Board of Education and develop a uniform set of criteria by which to measure school safety and that the Department manage and administer the collection and analysis of school safety incident data. Additional recommended actions include having school safety officers and their supervisors be the primary reporters of school safety incident data, making the New York City Police Department responsible for allocating and reallocating safety resources based on need, making the prevention and reduction of school-based violence and the enforcement of the penal laws the primary mission of school safety officers, and direct management of DSS by the Police Department.