As school crime, drug use, and fights surge sharply across Los Angeles public schools, a district safety task force has recommended allowing individual campuses to decide whether to station police officers on site. If adopted, this would reverse recent wins by anti-police student activists while responding to parent calls for restored security. In this article we talk we talk about Empowering LA Schools, Task Force Proposes Police Presence Decision Amid Campus Crime Spike.
In 2020, the LA Unified School District Board removed officers from schools amid Black Lives Matter protests. Instead, district police now just patrol nearby areas and respond to on-campus emergency calls. This school year, the task force quietly researched rising disciplinary incidents, difficulty controlling substance abuse, and a 2022 on-campus fentanyl death.
Quantifying the Crisis
District data reveal dramatic increases in “Fighting/Physical Aggression” since in-person classes resumed after remote learning. In 2017-2018, pre-pandemic, there were 2,270 such incidents. In 2021-2022, the first full year after police left, these cases jumped 28% to 2,906. So far in 2022-2023, they have spiked another 54% to 4,786 and counting – almost double the last pre-pandemic tally.
Tensions recently boiled over at Washington Prep High when a student opened fire in an after-school fight, killing a 15-year-old. Nearby “safe passages” workers allegedly declined to intervene beforehand. “One student died because safe passages does not work,” said parent leader Diana Guillen. Her group will present a 2,000-signature petition Tuesday, urging the return of police amid a rising crisis.
While suicide risks and drug cases were already increasing pre-2020, both categories saw sharper climbs over the past few years as well. Threat and weapons incidents also rose recently after an earlier dip. Causality is complex with myriad factors at play, including worsening student mental health. But the data correlations are clear.
Empowering School Communities
The task force recommends letting individual schools decide about police presence based on their communities’ needs and preferences. This would balance parent demands for security with opposition from anti-police activists.
Most task force participants appear to be parents, district employees, and community members not actively against having police. The teachers union leadership and student activist groups typically protest Board of Education meetings multiple times per year to push for fully eliminating school police.
But many parents insist officers make schools safer. Over two dozen spoke at an April Board meeting, and Guillen’s group will present thousands more signatures Tuesday. Recent town halls also reveal parents want more behavioral accountability and better communication around bullying and violence.
Nuanced Solutions
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is developing updated safety plans for Board review. He says the debate involves more nuance than just pro- or anti-police sentiments. Effective policies require understanding school cultures, anticipating issues, engaging parents, and providing students productive outlets.
Empowering each school to decide its own police presence could help balance safety and reform. But success likely also requires ensuring consequences for negative behaviors as well as more counselors or other support. As Board President Jackie Goldberg has acknowledged, current alternative “restorative justice” disciplinary practices do not always work in real life.
With campus crime spiking sharply, the District must now balance urgent safety needs with ideals around equity and student wellbeing. The task force proposes letting schools decide what security resources their communities require. But effective solutions will consider all perspectives in this complex and high-stakes debate. I sincerely hope you find this “Empowering LA Schools, Task Force Proposes Police Presence Decision Amid Campus Crime Spike” article helpful.
Ruby Arora is the lead writer at LosAngelesDailyNews.net, where she brings her extensive expertise in journalism and communications to cover Los Angeles’ vibrant culture and breaking news. Ruby holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and has a track record of delivering insightful and accurate stories. Connect with her on Instagram and YouTube for more updates and behind-the-scenes content.
