A recent report from the NYPD School Safety Division shows that police arrest an average of one student a day in city schools - nearly always a black or Hispanic boy. We know police are called to District 150 schools regularly, what would you say if Peoria's average is comparable to New York?
The New York Civil Liberties Union said the statistics are “troubling” and confirm its suspicions about “over-policing.” The numbers, released to comply with a new city law, only cover July 1 to Sept. 30 — two-thirds of which was summer school.
Cops arrested 63 students -- about one a day in 50 days of classes -- and issued 182 summons to students -- three a day for offenses ranging from robbery to riding a bike on the sidewalk. Of the arrests, 68% of the students were black and 25% were Latino.
The civil liberties group noted that blacks make up about 29% of the school system’s 1.1 million students and an estimated 37% of summer school students. “We see an enormous racial disparity,” Lieberman said.
She complained that the Police Department did not release data from April to June, as required. The report only covered officers who are part of the School Safety Division — not precinct cops who are often called into the schools.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said he will be looking at the data “to examine disparities in race and ethnicity” — but he noted crime in schools is down 49% in the last decade.
The NYPD credited an increased police presence in city schools for the reduction, but did not address the lopsided arrest rate.Source
10 comments:
Is it wrong to say that maybe, just maybe, there are more arrests of a certain race because more of that race are committing the crimes?
Actually Anonymous that may be a fact. However, if the numbers show that black and or Hispanic boys are disciplined, suspended and/or arrested at disproportionate numbers, that within itself could be a civil rights violation.
This has a lot to do with how District 150 is NOW handling such matters.
In my opinion, the only way to avoid over policing in schools is to kick up community policing and dealing with juveniles as they commit crimes outside of the school and make sure they and they families receive the necessary COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS.
Alright, couple of questions: How can it be a violation if there are more black/hispanic boys being disciplined because more of them are committing the crimes?
When you say "This has a lot to do with how District 150 is NOW handling such matters." are you referring to the fact that at this point 150 is doing practically nothing as far as punishment?
I think it is two-fold because the students need the proper and appropriate discipline in the classroom to understand that behavior has consequences. Also, the community policing needs to happen because the punishment "out there" may have more teeth than the ACE room or a time-out.
There is no way for schools to solve the societal ills that show up at the school each day. There is simply not enough intervention they can do without eventually stepping on student rights.
Social service agencies, the housing authority, and the PPD will have to find a way to address more of Peoria's issues through community interventions.
This is not a chicken and egg issue. Once the City cleans up the streets, the schools will improve.
I believe there was an extensive study done of District 150's discipline data and the discipline procedures used by the principals in District 150. It showed a huge disparity in the discipline of Black students compared to White students. It suggested many ways to deal with the issue, but it was tucked away by then Supt. Hinton & BOE.
I met a woman who was a great grandmother never graduated from high school and was a baby mother by the age of 16. Every single females after her in her family followed in her footsteps right up to the 16 years old who made her mother at 31 a grandmother.
None of them had further education like college or business school. Without education for the rest of the young ones in their family or community, it's a never ending cycle.
This whole thing is a can of worms. I wish that I could see only one side of the issue, but I do see both. The major problem that I see is that inner city schools and the District 150 inner-city schools are now segregated, not just racially, but, most of all, economically.
Unfortunately, the children who are being hurt the most are minorities (who are the majorities in these schools) because those who are academically prepared are losing big time by the chaos created by those students who are in trouble all the time.
Also, outsiders have always--and certainly today--lump all Manual students together and they are all labeled as problem students. The longer the problem students are allowed to dominate the environment, the worse that stigma will stick to all students.
My own opinion is that now that District 150 has a black superintendent and a considerable number of black administrators, the problem could be handled in a very straightforward manner and without unfair punishment. However, the trend I see is that no discretion is being used--there just aren't any significant consequences. Now is the time to take a good look at who the repeat offenders are and then make a decision as to what to do about them--preferably putting them into an alternative setting where they can be offered real help, not just a place to dump them.
I realize the city has a huge responsibility in this process, eto., but the District is not helpless or blameless--it could be part of the solution. I still continue to believe that District 150 sets the groundwork for giving students reason to believe that they can defy authority with no consequences. And make no mistake there are no consequences in District 150 for bad behavior--expulsions aren't permanent and suspensions aren't viewed as a real punishment by these repeat offenders. Also, there is no doubt in my mind that District 150 will soon face a severe problem in finding qualified teachers. Now that the pay in public schools is taking a downward trend, there is no reason for qualified teachers to come to a battleground to teach--they will choose suburban or private schools.
One statistic for which I have no answer but would like to have one: how many students who are arrested on District 150 property are punished legally for their behaviors. Peoria isn't Chicago or New York--I believe that in the bigger cities the crimes in schools are worse and the punishments are likely to result in sentencing, etc.
An honest look at Richwoods could give us some interesting data. At Richwoods, there are probably more middle class black students than there are at MHS or PHS. Are these black students "in trouble" in large numbers? I contend that if black students at Richwoods are in trouble, they are probably those who are in a lower economic bracket.
I'm saying that we really have to learn to analyze racial problems more from an economic stsndpoint rather than on skin color.
The black students at Richwoods that are habitual problems are the same ones bussed in from other schools.
At about 2:30 today I heard on the scanner that a 17 year old white male was headed up to Peoria High with a gun. The person who called it in described to the police what he was wearing. They stopped the person in front of the school, going up the stairs. He had a gun... it was a b.b. gun, which is still a pretty serious infraction. It will be interesting to see if this story makes the news.
11:51 PPD called to go to Trewyn and pick up two juveniles.
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