SANTA ANA : Parents, Officials Discuss Safety Steps

Pio Pico Elementary School won’t be moved to its permanent location until early next year, but the school’s principal and concerned parents are already taking steps to ensure the safety of its students.

About 75 parents met with police and school officials this week to discuss safety measures for the school, which will be located in a high-crime area in the 900 block of Highland Avenue in central Santa Ana.

“I really want to be pro-active,” Principal Judith Magsaysay said. “I want the parents to start out feeling empowered.”

Among the safety measures to be implemented is an Emergency House Program, in which six volunteer “block parents” will display bright pink cards in their windows alerting children that the house is a safe haven in the event of an emergency.

“If there are cockroaches in your house, you spray Raid,” said parent Noel Cuervas, who has volunteered to be a block captain. “That’s what we need to do with the drug dealers in this neighborhood.”

At the meeting Wednesday, parents requested more police patrols and complained about the use and sale of drugs, vandalism, gunshots and people sleeping in abandoned cars.

Officer Robert A. Chavez, commander of the department’s Central District, said the high-density area has one of the highest crime rates in the city. He urged the parents to report crimes and provided them with a list of telephone numbers that would allow them to do so anonymously.

“We try to mobilize the community as much as possible,” Chavez said. “If it’s a joint effort, we can accomplish so much more. Drug dealers don’t like to be in an area where people care about their environment.”

Councilman Robert L. Richardson, a former school board member, said Pio Pico, which opened earlier this month and will operate out of 10 portable classrooms at Glenn Martin Elementary School until its permanent location is ready in January, will be located on Highland Avenue because most of the students live in that area.

“Obviously, we’re always concerned about safety,” Richardson said. “The thing to remember is that a school really is a net improvement for the community. The safety concerns are going to be there anyway and the school can be a positive force to make the area better.”

Parent Martha Madera, who has a 9-year-old daughter, said she is happy to see parents taking matters into their own hands.

“We’re parents and we should look out for the kids,” Madera said. “We should keep an eye on every child, no matter whose it is. If we work together, we can make a difference.”

When the school, named after California’s first governor, moves to Highland Avenue, its 425 students will be housed in 14 portable classrooms until permanent buildings are completed.