Posted on Sat,
Mar. 25, 2006
Impact of zero-tolerance school-arrest policies
The March 19 article More Miami-Dade students
face detention for misdemeanors leaves the
impression that the number of students being
arrested in Miami-Dade County Public Schools is
increasing. In fact, the opposite is true.
The number of arrest incidents are down 10
percent so far this school year. If that trend
continues, as we expect that it will, we could
experience fewer than 2,000 such incidents this
year. For example, arrests for simple and aggravated
batteries, weapons possession, drug offenses,
disorderly conduct, graffiti, vandalism and
trespassing all are down this school year.
As the innovative programs described -- school
community policing and a civil-citation program for
minor offenses -- have more time to succeed, we
anticipate even steeper drops in arrests with no
decline in the safety and security.
JOSEPH GARCIA, spokesman, Miami-Dade
Public Schools, Miami
Arresting children for misbehaving in school is a
devastating and costly national epidemic.
Zero tolerance indeed has been the culprit for
this injustice, resulting in hundreds of thousands
of student arrests each year for trivial
school-related offenses.
This trend has cost society millions, but the
real harm can't be measured in money: a lifelong
criminal record and the emotional toll on children
and their families.
I applaud the Miami-Dade school district for
implementing the civil-citation initiative. Other
school districts should be looking for alternatives
to misdemeanor arrests of schoolchildren.
The Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council, of
which I am a member, recently requested that the
Pinellas school district place a moratorium on
arrests for disorderly conduct and disruption of
school environment. All school districts should take
a firm stand on this issue to protect children from
avoidable anguish now and in their future.
CATHY CORRY, president, Justice 4 Kids,
Clearwater
According to the article, 54 percent of school
kids arrested are black, even though they constitute
only 28 percent of the district's enrollment.
Miami-Dade Juvenile Court Judge Lester Langer
says in the article: ``People are kidding themselves
if they think a teacher may not react differently to
a black student acting out as opposed to a white
student acting out.''
Why?
It's 2006, and racism still rears its ugly head
even when it comes to our children. Though this does
not surprise me, it manages to break my heart a
little bit more every time.
MONICA HARVEY, Miami Beach
