Taking firm leadership on the issue, esteemed APS Board Member Robert Lucero has come out against the district developing a new, stronger, more coherent, less corrupt, actually effective police department citing his belief that APS "doesn't have the authority to create its own police force" (paraphrase quote from Trib article).
Evidently, those uniformed folks roaming school halls the last few years were paid (lowly) actors. Now that I think about it, that explains alot.
Friday, July 06, 2007
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4 comments:
I cannot believe that I am agreeing with Robert Lucero about something. And of all things... the police department.
I don't care what the police/sheriff department recruiting woes are and that they are currently over-burdened. No one is more qualified to run police business in our schools.
However, I truly believe we should have resource officers who are the first contact for our kids. A high rapport and sense of peace-keeping relationships does quite a lot toward prevention. I believe prevention should be APS' goal while apprehension should be APD's.
Certainly it needs to be a collaborative effort.
APS has proven its inability to manage/govern over a police force. And those poor officers who "police" the schools can't carry their weapons which puts everyone, in my opinion, at risk. Just as much as there is a flip side to having a gun on their belt and around the kids is a risk.
I think we should let the professionals respond to police actions and let the resource officers work on rapport and prevention.
Just my opinion and damn if I don't share it with Lucero. *sigh*
Former Chief Gilbert Lovato did an excellent job for 16 years as Police Chief. If we want to look at facts, here they are: The rate of violence and crime was down at its lowest in APS last year. This was under Lovato's administration. Does the public really believe that APS will contract outside to APD or the Sheriffs office? Are they going to pay these officers overtime to provide the extra security at high school games? After school activities? Dances? APS has one of the top 15 highest largest school districts - Lovato worked it well. APS is at a great loss.
But White said that Lovato, in effect, operated a police department and "it worked."
If White thinks it worked, then why doesn't he want a piece of the action? Personally I only care that whoever does it, does not, not, not, report to any one in APS. Connect the dots!
Anonymous said...
The rate of violence and crime was down at its lowest in APS last year.
The Council of Great City Schools said;
"The annual statistical crime report to the BOE may be inaccurate and possibly misleading. The team was advised that there is a prevailing culture of under-reporting incidents in order to improve the image of the District and the individual schools"
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