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