Texas Laws

A law was recently passed in Texas which gives teachers detailed information about students’ criminal histories, offenses, and parole status for those released from state facilities.  This has many people in an uproar and there are debates over students’ rights Vs teachers’ safety.  The legislation was brought on after a teacher in Tyler, Texas was stabbed by a student in 2009. 

While the thought of criminal offense information being made available to schools and teachers specifically may sound alarming, it needs to be stressed that much of this information is already shared.  When a juvenile or school-aged person is arrested, notification is made directly from the police agency to the school district representative.  The law requires that the superintendent be notified, however in many cases the district’s discipline office handles them.  Not to mention, over 100 school districts in Texas have their own police department.  Many of these arrests are handled in the school where the teachers have direct knowledge of the facts and the students. 

In Texas, juvenile inmates attend school and take all the mandated state tests.  When those inmates are released, their school information is sent to both the parole department and the home school district.  Records are evaluated for testing and evaluation procedures to ensure the student gets placed in the right grade and receives the appropriate credit for work done while incarcerated. 

Since student arrest information is already being shared at the administrative levels of the schools, what is going to be done with the information once the teachers get a hold of it?  There are already strict rules in place for consequences for criminal activity in a school, near a school, and while a student at a school.  These rules have not changed.  Teachers are not going to be able to send a student to alternative school just because they read an arrest report.  As with the student who stabbed the teacher in Tyler, Texas, there are also strict rules in place as to what interventions and punishments can be given to students who receive special education services.  Having access to criminal history is not going to change those rules neither. 

This law goes into effect in October, 2011.  Here’s a possible case…

Over the 4^th of July Holiday, a 15 year old gang member attends a party with friends.  A fight breaks out with a rival gang and this child is arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.  Since he has no prior convictions, he spends approximately 45 days in the juvenile detention center and is released on intensive supervision probation.  School starts on August 22, 2011, and due to his offense, the student starts the year at an alternative education program.  He completes his 90 day stay at the AEP and returns to his school.  His first year teacher learns of her new student’s criminal offense and is in fear for her safety. 

School districts across the state are going to have to tackle these problems.  You will have some staff who read criminal information, take note of it and continue teaching, and you will have others who don’t even read the information if they are provided it.  There problem will be when you have teachers who make decisions based on the information and not on the students themselves. 

What steps are taken to ensure the teacher feels safe without violating the student’s rights?  Is it fair to further punish the student?  Should the teacher seek other employment if she is scared?  Who will make these decisions?

America's Longest Running Civil War

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines a civil war as a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country.  From the American Civil War from 1861-1865, to modern day civil wars in the Congo, Kosovo, Chechenia, and Sierra Leone, millions of people die as a result of these conflicts.  When a country cannot solve their issues, other nations step in with military and humanitarian aid.  In 2009, the United States appropriated over 20 million dollars in foreign aid to Sierra Leone alone.  In 2011, it is estimated that this number will grow to 30 million dollars.  3% of the yearly aid is allocated to "peace and security." 

Now let's change the focus to Los Angeles, California.  Although there are many stories and theories about the origins of LA's most infamous gangs, it is widely accepted that the Crips started around 1969 and the Bloods started around 1972.  In 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department created an elite unit to combat gang activity.  This unit was called "Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums" or CRASH.  This unit was disbanded in 2000 amid reports of controversy and police brutality. 

In 1988, the film "Colors" was released.  I lived in Inglewood, California at the time.  Gang violence was rising exponentially in the area.  I remember a day shortly after the film was released.  My mother, sister, and I were at a local mall.  On our way back to the car, there was a shoot out outside the theater when the movie let out.  As this was happening more and more frequently, several theaters stopped showing the movie.  A few years later, gangs were forming truces all across the country.  Police departments started cutting back their gang units.  As the war on drugs escalated, gangs were no longer given as much attention.  The attacks on September 11, 2001 further pushed gangs out of the spotlight as the war on terror began. 

However, one statistics stands out more than any other.  Between 1999 and 2009, 5,750 people have been killed by gang violence in Los Angeles County.  That's over 500 people per year in 4000 square mile area.  There are no concrete statistics on the number of people killed every year due to gang violence in the United States.  However, one can easily estimate that over 1 million people have been killed across this country as a result of gang violence since the bloods and crips emerged in the late 60's, early 70's.  While the US is spending billions of dollars on foreign aid and foreign wars, people across this country are killing themselves in what can be looked at as America's longest running civil war.  These are kids, often as young as 12 years old, killing each other over colors and neighborhoods.  A sad fact is that many of them have no idea why their gang started, nor what the colors, names, and symbols stand for.  They just see their peers doing it, so they decide to do it. 

Baron Davis (professional basketball player) and Stacy Peralta (former professional skateboarder and surfer) came from different walks of life.  Stacy Peralta graduated high school 4 years before Baron Davis was born.  Stacy Peralta was innovative in making skateboarding the craze that it is today.  Matter of fact, my first skateboard was a Powell-Peralta Tony Hawk board.  Baron Davis, at the age of 14, became involved in gang activity.  Although years apart, sports allowed both men to become professionals in their field.  In 2008, they worked together on an amazing documentary, Crips and Bloods: Made in America.  Baron Davis was the executive producer and Stacy Peralta was the writer and director.  While the movie does a good job of depicting how these gangs started, it paints a very clear picture of 2 things:

1 - gang violence continues to be an epidemic
2 - there is a lack of resources aimed at preventing or intervening in gang activity.

As one crip gang member says on the movie, "It's like you're waiting for someone to come save you man but you never get saved."

So as you reflect on statistics and dollar signs, I leave you with this quote from Stacy Peralta's director statement
   "With that in mind then, why is it that young African-Americans  have been involved in this spiral
    of death for over four decades with no viable solution in sight?"

Crips and Bloods: Made in America can be found on Netflix and several other legal sources for viewing.  Please take the time to watch this powerful documentary.

Kickoff!

Yesterday's post, while the data and stats are accurate, was more of a test run for me to get the feel of the site, to get used to the idea of writing, and to shake the uncertainties off.  I only told one person I did it.

So today, I'm letting everyone know.  I'm going to tweet and Facebook the link to this blog and go from there.  I'm sure there will be some that wonder why the heck I'm doing it, and others who fully support it.  Either way, I'm doing this for me and for anyone who is interested in the information or in discussions.  I've had the desire to write for a long time, but I have to give credit to a guy named Scott Dickson who writes the Crime Analyst Blog.  I heard him speak at an association meeting and since then I decided to do it.  I wasn't sure exactly what topic or name I would use so it took a few days.

My initial thought was to center the writings on school violence, which could encompass many things.  But anyone that knows me knows that I am passionate about gangs.  Doesn't mean that I won't discuss other school violence related topics, but I will try to tie them into gangs if I can. 

One thing that surprised me was that there are a number of "school and gang" related blogs out there.  Many of them have not been updated in years.  Some of them, which appeared to be followed by many, decided that the topic had run its course and shut them down.  This is going to be the perfect lead in to my next topic.  Gangs are not going away!

So with all that said, if you read this, thanks.  If you tell a friend to read it, thanks again.  And if you have any constructive criticisms, ideas, or topics, let me know.

Are Schools Safe?

The Justice Policy Center has stated that "Rather than providing a context, the media's linking of school shootings as a "trend" has tended to exacerbate people's fears about the safety of their children and youth in schools."

The National School Safety Center states that "The constant media attention can easily cause some to believe that schools are entirely unsafe, while a lack of access to information may have some people clueless as to what goes on in schools in this day and age."

When people think of schools and violence, what immediately comes to mind are the tragedies that happened in Littleton, Colorado at Columbine High School, the Virginia Tech Massacre, and the Westside Middle School shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  However, with the exception of the Virgina Tech shooting, the major incidents happened over 10 years ago.  Are schools now safe?

Statistics state that 8 children die every day from gunfire in the United States.  11 children die every 2 days from family violence, child abuse, or neglect at the hands of their parents or guardians.  90% of homicide victims under the age of 12 are killed by adults and not other children. 

The National Center of Vital Statistics reports that "In recent years, homicides of school-age children were more than 200 times more likely to happen off campus."

In 1993 and 1994, 42 homicides in U.S.schools were reported.  In 1999, 25 were reported.  In both 2008 and 2009, 1 homicide was reported each year.