Schools being run by gang members?
"There are some schools right now being run by gang members," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey testified before City Council on Monday.
Schools being run by gang members?
Kristen Graham
Our Assault on Learning team has been reporting for the past few days on a proposal currently being floated to station city police in the Philadelphia School District's toughest schools. (Read our Saturday story breaking this news here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/special_packages/inquirer/school-violence/20110409_Nutter_and_Ramsey_consider_putting_armed_police_officers_in_some_schools.html)
In today's paper, our colleague Jeff Shields, reporting on a City Council hearing, noted that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told Council that "there are some schools right now being run by gang members." (Read that story here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/119674379.html) This, presumably, is evidence for why city police ought to be in schools.
That line really stopped me. Gangs running some city schools. Wow.
To be clear: schools currently have school police officers. They do not carry weapons and do not have arrest powers, though they may detain students until city police arrive to make an arrest. There are 635 full- and part-time officers in the district, though the current dire budget situation might mean significant cuts to that force.
A proposal now in preliminary stages would give city police much more of a role in keeping order in schools. It doesn't sound like every school would get a city police officer, but we'd see many more officers (presumably armed) in schools than we do now. I've heard reaction ranging from "finally!" to "how does making school feel like more of a prison help the problem?"
In reporting our series, we talked to many teachers, staffers and students about conditions inside schools. Some talked about neighborhood gangs really affecting safety. I'd love to hear your feedback on two things - one, for those inside schools, how prevalent is gang activity at your school? And two, for everyone - city cops in schools - good idea, or bad?
UPDATE: While we're on the topic, you might also read the commentary of Shelly Yanoff, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth. She wrote today about the district's zero tolerance policy. An excerpt: "Instead of wielding the sledgehammer of zero tolerance, schools must respond to disruptive and violent behavior with a continuum of intervention and support strategies. The district needs to develop a balanced approach that provides serious responses to harmful violence but doesn't unnecessarily criminalize minor infractions."
The full link is here: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/119674249.html
class of '84 all over again...
Great idea - cops in schools.— manyhats- Philadelphia is well on its way to becoming like Detroit. Gangs running the schools, violence, students wrecking havoc in Center City, dogfighting. No need to wonder why the middle class is getting out.— The_Unknown-Poster
- This is why I would do anything in my power to put my kids in a school of MY choice. I'd want them surrounded by other decent children, not animals.— SNJ_Native
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- Vouchers don't work. They result in the better students transferring, leaving the dregs in the public school system, which is required by law to take them. That "solution" only makes the public school system worse. Education is not an area where competition helps, since our goal is to educate everyone, at least to a minimum standard. Check Cleveland and other cities where vouchers have been tried. It hasn't worked anywhere. — CamsDad
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- The gangs are running the schools. Ackerman and her gang has been doing it now for about three years.— cgraham
- Yet no one asks where the parents are...— philly-born
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- You are vindictive in your analysis of this serious problem. You need to judge these kids on a case by case basis & hold your assumptions to yourself. Sometimes your right in your assumptions & thankfully the fighting spirit in these kids proves you wrong many times. There was a kid in middle school that I predicted that he would be dead from his choices. I wasn't happy about it when he was murdered, But you would be gleeful about being right. These children though their parents are not rich, deserve dignity & not a rush to judgement like it was a fastrack program for the Pa Prison system which republicans always fund to the max. This problem has been around for over 26yrs now. If your older than me & I am about to turn 40. Then your attitude has been part of the problem for a long time. — JoseDeLeon
- Have you ever stepped foot in a Philadelphia school? You talk like the crypt keeper. Yes, drugs and the drug trade are serious elements of the violence problem. But not because kids are carrying weapons and drugs in school. The issue is that some kids are "protected" by the groups they run with. So thugs are able to bully, intimidate, and shut down learning because it represents work that they don't want to do (or need to with pockets full of bills). Yes, getting violence, non-performing kids away from decent kids is essential, but they should be helped, not disciplined.
— Pluski - Comment removed.
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
