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Bill seeks to alleviate school gang tensions
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D.C. police may have to craft strategies to deal with anticipated jumps in gang violence in schools. – Andrew Harnik/Examiner file Proposed legislation would require D.C. police to craft specific strategies to combat expected jumps in gang tensions as schools absorb students from the 23 public campuses that will close this year. D.C. Councilwoman Carol Schwartz, who proposed the bill, told The Examiner the police need to be proactive rather than reactive in planning for students’ safety. The legislation mandates that school security officers identify concerns and then make recommendations for all campuses in time for use next school year. Particular emphasis will be placed on schools receiving students as a result of the mass closures. The influx of students is expected to heighten tensions among different gangs. “In recognition of today’s reality where there are in some areas crime and violence related to gangs and crews, the school system and police need to plan accordingly,” the council member told The Examiner. Schwartz cited testimony at a number of recent council hearings about children having to walk through “enemy territories” next school year as a result of the campus shifts. “Parents have expressed fear that many children might be exposed to danger as a result of their having to go into neighborhoods that are not their own — neighborhoods that are perhaps even in conflict with their own — in order to go to schools that they have been assigned,” she said in introducing the legislation. At this point, all council members except David Catania have co-introduced the measure. In an e-mail to The Examiner, Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes, who oversees school security, said the legislation would not result in anything extraordinarily new, because the Metropolitan Police Department is involved in a program that delineates safe-passage routes to schools. “The issues coming up have been occurring, thus we have been doing a proactive program already,” she wrote. At the end of this school year, the 23 city schools will shut down due to drops in enrollment. dlevitz@dcexaminer.com |