Atlanta School System to Form It's Own Police Force

Does anyone besides me think that Atlanta School District's plans involving ending the current security contract with APD and creating its own private LE branch could create lead to a host of problems? Mayor Kasim Reed is thinking along the same lines:

Atlanta Public Schools is moving ahead with the plan despite warnings from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed that the move could have "catastrophic consequences" for children.

The school system's decision to end its contract with the city police department was "beyond" him, Reed said recently. "Everyone knows APS is independent. They're expressing their independence. But I think they're going to make the children of the Atlanta school system far less safe," Reed said.

I understand the mayor's position and the loss of city revenue, but personally, I think it sets a dangerous precedent. Schools primary responsibility is to educate and take the necessary steps to ensure its students safety, but IMO creating a police force, possibly copying the militarized themes of other departments, isn't necessary. Why fix something that isn't broken, with the possibility of it costing more than what is currently in place?

I look forward to updates in this situation.
savannahnow.com... e=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

This is push back by blacks against the supposed racist police. I've got no problem with them wanting to do things their own way. If only they stopped taking white taxpayer money too, that will be he day.

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

this just has to be the dumbest idea i have read since list time i logged on

the brutally obvious flaws :

1 - cost - due to ecconomies of scale - attempting to set up a "rival " organisation with only 10% of the manpower of the establishment you are attempting to break away from can end up costing 50% of your " rivals " budget

2 - ideology [ really the counter point of tab 4 ] - your atlanta school PD is still in the middle of georgia - and you are not going to get away from the type of people that you are trying to get away from

3 - training - you cannot turn a civilian into a constable in 2 weeks - the only way to break your training ` lead time ` is to recruit experienced officers from ` somewhere else ` - who are going to bring thier own baggage

4 - discrimination - they are still in the centre of georgia - and to get a " different " pool of recruits they are going to have to have painfully hilarious discriminatory hiring practices

this cannot end well - however it ends

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

Watch they will give this police force military grade weaponry and equipment.

Look at Ferguson

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Thank you! Your post highlights the immediate concerns I had with this plan, and feel you've scratched the surface of the myriad of problems to follow. I found an interesting article on this topic, and the funds to be used are telling:

As for the cost for a school police force, Atlanta Public Schools just got a $7.5 million grant from the National Justice Initiative, some of which will be put towards starting the force. Because of this, and the fact that salaries for the school officers would come from the money previously going to Atlanta Police officers and the city, Jernigan said the plan overall would be cost-neutral

www.11alive.com...

Another reason for the plan is so the school system wouldn't have to share LE as a resource, as they currently do. I don't believe this plan will make students safer, as that is ASD's primary goal.

Seems Detroit has one...

Detroit Public Schools Police Department (DPSPD)

The Detroit Public Schools Police Department is the state’s only full-service school district police agency and includes 78 police officers patrolling schools 24-7.

detroitk12.org...

Here are some more...

www.montebello.k12.ca.us...

www.saisd.net.../

ccsd.net...

SO if done right it can work.

a reply to: tsurfer2000h

And Detroit schools are simply a model of fiscal responsibility and success ... weren't their teachers raising a fuss about the crappy working conditions and crumbling schools, so I would say that something there is NOT working correctly.

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

The school district is composed of the local citizenry, if they self-determined that this was the best course of action why do other districts want to dictate to them what they should be doing? There is enough totalitarian rhetoric coming from both parties, let the local government decide what is best for them.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

The school district is composed of the local citizenry, if they self-determined that this was the best course of action why do other districts want to dictate to them what they should be doing? There is enough totalitarian rhetoric coming from both parties, let the local government decide what is best for them.

My issue with the proposed plan is: why fix it if it isn't broken. Outside of response times, and training issues, the current system of contracting LE to deal with school criminal activities seems to work. The costs of startup for an entire police department, its admin. and support structure, vehicles, weapons, supplies, etc. could easily surpass what the school system currently spend. Is that fair to taxpayers?

The other issue I have is by creating a new LE entity solely for this school district may or may not increase safety for students, teachers and administrators. Too many variables to predict the impact of this new force, and as a parent, I wouldn't be thrilled with this news if I had a child in attendance.

What does party rhetoric have to do with a safety issue like this?

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

School police is nothing new and I have seen the arguments from standard police agencies when a school / college look at forming their own. What I have noticed is school police have a tendency to resolves student issues in a manner that helps the students where some normal police agencies dont. Instead of issuing criminal complaints situations are handled in house (there are pro's / con's). Sometimes using school system punishment is a better alternative than the courts.

Some school police have agreements with their city police that allows school police to handle misdemeanors where felonies are handed over to city police. School police also are able to form a connection with students better than standard police, who generally arent at the school unless something is wrong.

Its 6 of 1, half dozen to the other in my opinion. The school police ive dealt with have been nothing but helpful and a wealth of knowledge, especially when dealing with students outside of school times.

a reply to: Xcathdra

That's what I like about ATS: your post gave me a position from the flip side, and a concept that has been voiced from the school system. The ability to construct a LE entity that specializes in student incident scenarios, and tailor it with the mission of resolution and connectivity instead of one size fits all intrigues me.

I've never dealt with school police before as you have posted, and learned something new. Thanks for the post.

a reply to: Boscowashisnamo

I say if you are not in Atlanta why worry about it? The citizens there voted to take this course of action and that is their right to do so.

a reply to: ketsuko

And Detroit schools are simply a model of fiscal responsibility and success ... weren't their teachers raising a fuss about the crappy working conditions and crumbling schools, so I would say that something there is NOT working correctly.

Never said it was great...I was just pointing out that there are school systems in other cities that utilize the same thing that seems to be working in the way it's supposed to.

Most Texas ISD's have their own police force with separate vehicles and employees from city forces. We have the Mansfield ISD Police. They operate in and around the schools only. I don't remember when they started this trend. In the 70's and 80's there were specific city police who were assigned to the various schools, but it isn't that way now.

Very similar to college campus police.