Good News, Bad News in School Crime Report

Several categories of school crime--including substance abuse, robbery and assaults with a weapon--declined significantly in California during the 1987-88 academic year, but overall assaults and the number of weapons reported on or near campus rose sharply, a survey released Friday by the state Department of Education showed.

Although some educators and law enforcement experts cautioned against using the statistics to make generalizations about overall school safety, state Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig said the figures show that schools are “on the right track” in their approaches to some problems.

“The major crimes, the things that are really scary,” he said, “are coming down--drug abuse, theft, burglary and assaults with weapons.”

Statewide totals show that the number of assaults involving weapons decreased from 1,827 in 1985-86, the first year school crime statistics were compiled, to 1,778 in 1986-87 and to 1,460 in 1987-88. Incidents of substance abuse also dropped markedly, from 20,196 in 1985-86 to 15,999 in 1986-87 and to 13,645 in 1987-88, the survey showed.

Those declines occurred even though a larger number of school districts reported crime figures to the state last year than in the previous two years, the report noted.

The school crime report, which is mandated by the state Legislature, found a “disquieting” increase in other categories, such as weapons possession. The total number of weapons sighted or confiscated statewide rose last year to 8,539 from 7,428 in 1986-87 and 7,568 in 1985-86.

More weapons were reported on or near junior high school campuses than elementary or senior high campuses. Junior highs statewide filed 3,661 reports of guns, knives, explosives and other weapons, compared to 3,380 in senior highs and 1,374 in elementary schools.

The most gun-related incidents statewide occurred at the senior high level.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, overall reports of weapons rose substantially. The district reported 1,076 incidents involving weapons last year, compared to 469 in 1985-86 and 724 in 1986-87. The number of incidents specifically involving guns more than tripled over the last three years, from 75 in 1985-86 to 175 in 1986-87 and 255 in 1987-88.

More incidents involving weapons were reported by junior highs than senior highs in the Los Angeles district, the opposite of the trend found statewide.

Wesley C. Mitchell, chief of school police for the Los Angeles district, said he could not explain what appeared to be a higher level of aggression among the district’s junior high students.

However, he cautioned against interpreting the increases in certain crime categories, particularly weapons possession, to mean that schools generally are more dangerous than they were a few years ago. Mitchell said a major problem with the state’s school crime survey is that schools report weapons found both on and near school grounds. Schools also include sighting of weapons as well as actual confiscation. Other categories include crimes reported to have occurred on or near campuses.

Of the 255 gun-related reports last year, for instance, only 103 involved the actual confiscation of a firearm, Mitchell said.

“These figures do not mean that schools are less safe. People should take (these statistics) to mean that their children are exposed to a great deal more violence going to school than they did three years ago. I phrase it that way because so many incidents did not occur on campus but going to and from school,” he said.

Honig attributed the overall statewide rise in assaults and weapons possession to the growth of gang and drug-related violence in communities surrounding schools.

He said schools need to pay special attention to beefing up academic and counseling programs to curb the upward trends in the middle grades in weapons, assaults and vandalism. The report noted that efforts are already under way in 25 districts with the highest junior high crime rates to establish “peer counseling,” which uses students to counsel other students.

SCHOOL CRIME IN CALIFORNIA

The incidence of substance abuse and assaults with weapons declined in public schools last year, although possession of weapons increased, according to new figures from the state Department of Education. For the first time last year, all 1,025 of the state’s districts reported crime figures to the state.

1985-86 1986-87 1987-88 Assaults 54,526 57,347 59,973 Assaults with weapons 1,827 1,778 1,460 Weapons possession 7,568 7,428 8,539 Substance abuse 20,196 15,999 13,645 Homicides 15 14 7