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EDITORIAL
School cops
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There goes another $1.2 million into the pockets of unionized Clark County School District police instead of into the classroom.
After a judge ruled the district's police are covered by a collective bargaining law mandating expedited arbitration for police officers and firefighters, the School Board had little choice but to award the police retroactive cost-of-living wage hikes similar to those afforded other district employees. That amounts to $1 million in back pay and $200,000 in contributions toward police health insurance.
Now the school district must start negotiations for a contract for the next school year.
Perhaps it is time to play hardball. The school Police Department, which began in 1967 as little more than night watchmen at school buildings and evening events, has mushroomed into a $15 million-a-year, 200-member armed force with the power to arrest. The cost of the department has grown 20 percent in just four years -- before the back pay and benefits are added onto the expense side of the ledger.
The force is redundant to the local police forces who are called to any major problems on school campuses anyway.
The school police union apparently is aware that some are beginning to question whether they are worth the tremendous investment of tax money. Why else would school police Sgt. Phil Gervasi, president of the Police Officers Association of the Clark County School District, take the time to propagandize following the arrest of a teacher at Mojave High School for failing to report two of her students had been bringing a handgun to school?
Sgt. Gervasi told a Review-Journal reporter the incident shows the need for a strong police presence on campus because teachers can't always be counted on to do the right thing. He went on to claim the school police officers had a good enough rapport with the students to get valuable information that outside police officers or less professional security guards might never get.
Otherwise, "That gun might still be out there," Sgt. Gervasi said.
The students brought the gun on Tuesday and were not arrested until Thursday. We think he doth boast too much.
This is the department that did nothing about a school accountant accused of streaming an obscene video from his school system computer to what he thought was an underage girl.
The School Board should weigh the cost of maintaining this armed cadre with its own fleet of vehicles, fingerprinting unit, detective unit, training bureau, communications bureau, records unit and dispatch center vs. hiring a private security firm.
Education should be the main mission of the district.
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This was a good thing.
Joe,
I think your father should have followed the "Don't be a dummy, do it on the tummy" rule but we all can't get what we want...
GJD, I take it back then. Love you.
I think the 3 stooges that robbed the RIO would work out ok as school cops! Instead of guns, arm them with pies and whipped cream. IMHO, better than the jerks we have now!
n7v, I almost want to say I kinda agree with you. Until the government gets rid of the "no child left behind", public schools and school police are here to stay. Parents need to be held accountable for their children's actions, especially if they are learning it from home. When I was in school, we never saw a police a police officer on campus and when we messed up, however big or small, are parents were also held accountable. This city will never be any different than it is now because no one cares, everyone wants a paycheck, and parents only want a babysitter. All other cities are thriving because the kids parents main source of income isn't from selling drugs and their body on the street or in strip clubs, this town isn't ever going to worry about education because everyone knows they are gonna work in the casinos anyway.
ACSLATER wrote on February 27, 2011 11:17 AM: GJD, How long did it take you to write that masterful piece below?
ACSLATER I think you'd better try reading my post again!
"School police were not needed in schools 40 years ago; they are needed now. "
arrest of a teacher at Mojave High School for failing to report two of her students had been bringing a handgun to school
The chance of CCSD expelling a high school student for a gun violation is many times greater than for a first grader busted with the same caliber weapon. A high school student is "worth" far less than a 1st grader.
A high school student can only bring CCSD a few years of government revenue. He'll likely dropout before the duration anyway. A 1st grader represents potentially *many* years of state funding -- more if CCSD can successfully label him special ed.
The high schooler has already been ruined. His standardized test scores are a source of embarassment. CCSD can exploit the first grader as a sympathy case. He's what CCSD is all about.
There may be a market for PRIVATE gun schools. Curriculum could include The Chemistry of Gunpower, Aerodynamics of a Supersonic Bullet, Thermodynamics of a Gun Barrel, Lens optics, Infrared Imaging, etc. Electives in Hunting, Marksmanship, Trick Shooting, etc.
AND ANYONE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO CARRY ON CAMPUS.
Public school gun restrictions, though unconstitutional, may/not be a good idea. There's no question that forcing kids to go to school when they don't want to be there is just CRAZY and anathema to public education's so-called "mission".
ACSLATER, You had me until the end. The nail was hit on the head. I agree with you except the comments of classroom mangement. The classroom teacher has the option to send a student to the office. Get rid of the disruption. The problem is the lack of administration in the building to handle the issue. More admins. need to be put back into the schools. The admins. is the appropriate person to send the problem children. Elementary schools have no discipline school option. Secondary opportunity schools do not have enough seats to accomondate the problem kids. Weapons violators are returned to the schools. In essence the administration dumps the problem back on the teacher. That same teacher is dealing with the largest class size in the country. This is a money issue. Numerous teachers are just a warm body in the room. Yes they would be lost. Many adminsitrators have no clue with what they are dealing with it comes to the problem kids. One can only hope good communication is being used between all members in the district. It all comes down to money again. Something we fail to realize until something bad happens.
GJD, How long did it take you to write that masterful piece below? For 35 years you taught in Podunk, obviously without the drugs, gangs, and weapons problem seen currently in CCSD.
You say school police are not needed and then go in to talk about student politics, which have nothing to do with each other.
Though, if I were to pick apart your "studious" comment, I would say the following is true: Students no longer "want" to come to school and are "forced" and are not "held accountable", therefore come to school to not only waste taxpayer dollars but to also further their crime spree that you and other parents allow them to do while at home.
How is LVMPD supposed to handle the schools, when they have to babysit you and your family when school is out?
The problem lies directly with parenting and more so with "classroom management".
Without the school police, you teachers would be a lost flock.
Editor,
To your "Education should be the main mission of the district" comment.
I rebut by saying, factual journalism should be yours.
I wish you had the same strict laws to follow, when writing your "reports", as law enforcement does; but after all, it's only your credibility that is on the line.