NCJ Number
181860
Date Published
1999
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper describes Operation CleanSWEEP, a community-policing program that holds students and their families accountable for children’s behavior.
Abstract
Many school principals have attempted to implement programs that encourage destructive, defiant students to make better choices at school and to discourage violence, for example security cameras, metal detectors, guards and conflict resolution/character-building courses. However, many do not seem to guarantee that students will experience the consequences of their actions in order to change behavior. Operation CleanSWEEP, an innovative community-policing program, holds students as well as their families accountable for children’s behavior, ensuring a safe school environment, which in turn fosters a positive relationship between school and community. When juveniles (ages 10-17) commit crimes, such as fighting or disturbing the peace, the school administrator writes citations for those students to appear in Juvenile Traffic Court. Once a week the citations are given to a Sheriff’s School Liaison Officer, who signs them if acceptable and issues them to the juvenile offenders. These signed citations are then forwarded to the appropriate Juvenile Traffic Court. On a specified date, the juveniles and parents or guardians appear in court to present their cases. The hearing officer can dismiss the case or impose fines, community service, probation stipulations or a combination. Table, references