NYC School Safety Agents Union Accuses City of Deflating School Crime Stats
The head of the union suggested the alleged crime suppression is politically motivated.
The School Safety Division's agents are designated as New York City peace officers.
The head of the NYPD School Safety Agents Union says department officials are pushing agents not to report weapon confiscations to the public.
Gregory Floyd, president of the union, told the New York Post that his agents have been threatened with punishment from members of the NYPD after sharing information on weapons seizures with local media outlets.
“The purpose [of the threats] is to intimidate and to make an example of them so other safety agents will be afraid to report crime,” Floyd says.
Floyd speculates that political motivations are behind the threats.
Campus Safety has previously reported on a New York City Hall panel recommending some metal detectors be removed from New York City Schools, while Mayor Bill de Blasio recently implemented major reforms in the district’s disciplinary procedures that have caused suspension rates to plummet.
“If there’s no information to report, de Blasio can come out with his skewed numbers that crime is down and schools are safe, and parents don’t get a true picture of what’s going on,” Floyd says.
RELATED: Federal Report Shows Drop in School Crimes
Even as student punishments dropped significantly in 2015, NYPD data shows a 26 percent rise in the number of weapons confiscated at city schools since July.
“In many cases, the children aren’t arrested, so the crime statistics are down, but it’s just not being reported,” Floyd says. “We shouldn’t be in the secrecy business. We should be in the business of making sure weapons brought to school doesn’t happen.”
The NYPD School Safety Division employs around 5,000 school safety agents and 200 police officers. The force provides security for New York City Schools, the country’s largest school district.
Watch Next: Student Brawl Requires 12 Officers to Respond
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
