Editorial: Cooked numbers

Philadelphia school Superintendent Arlene Ackerman may have found a creative way to reduce the number of crimes reported in classrooms.

Rather than require school employees to call police when a student commits a crime, Ackerman wants the principals to determine if the cops are needed.

Under that new policy, it's easy to see how the number of reported crimes will plummet. Principals don't want their schools to be labeled dangerous because that will reflect poorly on them. So it will be in their interest to limit the number of calls to police.

At the same time, Ackerman will be able to take credit for reducing crime in the schools.

Never mind the proper response to a crime is to call the police. The cops are trained to deal with such matters and, it is hoped, to stop them from recurring.

The police already know their way around most of the city schools. There were more than 5,000 criminal offenses in the city's public schools last year - or about 27 a day.

The offenses include assault, theft, arson, vandalism, weapons possession, drug sales, sexual acts, bomb threats, and attempted murder. In other words, the question isn't whether to call the cops after a kid shoots a spitball.

Ackerman's policy shift comes in the wake of the elimination of the school safety czar. State lawmakers cut the funding for the safety czar, an independent watchdog whose reports shone a light on crime in the schools.

With the safety czar gone and principals determining the crimes, the number of incidents is sure to drop. At least on paper.