NCJ Number
176135
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This is an interview with Sidney B. Yeldell, Director, Division of School Safety, New York City Board of Education, and Robert J. Louden, Director, Criminal Justice Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, concerning safety in New York City's 1,100 public schools.
Abstract
Some New York City schools have installed metal detectors to prevent youngsters from bringing weapons inside their school and school safety officers with powers of arrest, if needed, to keep order in schools. In addition, schools are conducting conflict resolution and anger management sessions, sometimes involving students' parents, to prevent small incidents from escalating into serious and perhaps violent actions. Good relationships between school principals and precinct commanders are also important to keeping the peace in neighborhoods. Mr. Yeldell emphasizes the role of parents, who, by means of something as simple as reading with their kids, can make a difference in youngsters' school careers. Youngsters who fall behind in school because of reading problems are much more likely to get in trouble and to cause trouble. A young graduate of the Global Kids, Inc. program (telephone number 212-226-0130) presents a student-produced video about police-community relations in Washington Heights which included suggestions on neighborhood betterment and improving relations between the police and the communities they serve.