Protecting the Students

Walking to and from school can turn into a frightening experience in neighborhoods where gangs claim turf. Innocent youngsters can get hurt simply because they provide a target near a campus. The gang threat, however, is not mushrooming unchecked. As the school year gets back into gear, the Los Angeles Police Department is beefing up patrols near 20 public high schools and junior high schools in South-Central Los Angeles and the Harbor area.

Working closely with school authorities and school police, the LAPD assigned 125 officers to intensive daytime patrols last week. Extra police officers were on hand when school opened to protect youngsters on their way to school. Additional officers also worked mid-afternoon shifts in order to make the route home safer. The beefed-up patrols continued through the evening until midnight. The police also responded to rumblings that warned of trouble by sending extra patrols to a high-school football game.

The extra patrols paid off last week with 267 arrests; 143 were gang-related, on charges ranging from car theft and armed robbery to narcotics offenses. The police also picked up truants and returned 107 youngsters to school before the week of intensive daytime sweeps ended Friday night.

The LAPD will continue to monitor the 20 junior and senior high schools and reassemble the team of officers at the first hint of trouble. The safety of youngsters must remain a high priority. The trip to and from school should be free from fear.