During a special joint meeting, the Monrovia City Council and Monrovia Board of Education (agenda: http://goo.gl/dbKsL9 ) will consider assigning a city police officer to work with the schools. City would pay for the officer ($75,000 a year) and the district would pay for any additional expenses. (Details: http://goo.gl/SMYdak ) The officer would:
1. Work collaboratively with MUSD school officials in maintaining safe, orderly, positive learning environments for all students.
2. Serve as liaison between MUSD Schools and the Monrovia Police Department.
3. Serve on the Monrovia Anti-Gang Intervention Committee.
4. Serve on the School Attendance Review Board.
5. Take part on the Safe Schools Safe City Steering Committee.
6. Conduct classes to 9th and 12th grade students regarding citizen and police interactions.
7. Conduct school site safety assessments.
8. Conduct traffic safety assessments in collaboration with City traffic officer and the Traffic Safety Committee.
9. Assist school staff with student disciplinary issues.
10. Handle non-emergent (cold) reports and conduct investigations.
11. Attend school programs, assemblies and functions.
12. Assist in the coordination of the "Every 15 Minutes" program.
Also, the Council and Board will consider renewing a contract to open school campuses to the community as recreation areas. http://goo.gl/EKYhSN
- Brad Haugaard
$75k a year seems excessive when the starting pay for LA County Sheriff with a Bachelors degree is $63k.
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DeleteSince our tax dollars paid for it, how about opening the track at the high school to the public?
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the meeting on KGEM or their YouTube channel they state the track HAS been opened to the public.
DeleteCan No. 6 also include a lawyer in that class? I think it would good for students to hear the difference between what the police want them to do and what they are legally obligated to do. I don't think we have a problem here with police abuse of power, but I'm uncomfortable with Police being the only source of direction for police/public interaction. Knowing your rights is very important when dealing with the Police and I don't know that I trust the Police to fully convey those rights to young people who may use those rights to make their job more difficult in the future. I have a feeling the seminar will basically be "do what I say and there won't be any problems for you" unless there is a lawyer involved.
ReplyDeleteFor example, what would a police officer in this class say about recording arrests that you are not involved in? Case after case has declared it legal, yet every week we see police officers trying to intimidate people to stop recording, sometimes it even gets physical. Is a police officer really going to remind the students that we are allowed to police them as much as vice-versa? It seems unlikely.
Agreed, I'm a bit troubled about the PR aspect of this. If the police want to be in the classroom instructing students, it should only be part of a larger civics curriculum with a wide array of other qualified instructors. It should not end up being a class on why cops are cool, or why kids should do whatever they're told, regardless of their constitutional rights.
DeleteI agree 100% that the kids need to learn their rights as a citizen and NOT from a Police Officer. I think having a lawyer speak with them would be an integral part of this discussion.
DeleteThis is great and I commend the Monrovia Police Department and the Monrovia City Council in footing the bill for safety for Monrovia schools. Oliver Chi and Chief Hunt are the sweetest leaders and truly care about our kids. This is a step forward in providing the safety our kids deserve while at school. I hope that MUSD implements the recommendations by the officer when he/she performs the safety assessments. Our young students deserve to have at least one of the safety measures in place that national safety experts encourage (perimeter fencing with one access point that is monitored by trained personnel).
ReplyDeleteFencing? I didn't see anything in this article that states fencing would be part of the "Cop on Campus" program.
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