LOS ANGELES : $3.5 Million Sought for School Security Officers
Los Angeles schools Supt. Sid Thompson called on the Board of Education to spend $3.5 million to hire 22 more school police officers and retain 300 campus security aides as part of a program to prevent violence unveiled this week.
Thompson recommended that school principals work with teachers and parents to devise a safety plan that includes anti-violence curriculum as well as safety precautions.
The Board of Education praised the initiatives and several members said they will push hard to allocate money for the safety officers during upcoming budget debates.
“I don’t know how we can afford not to do this,” school board member Mark Slavkin said.
With the additional school police, an officer will be assigned to every district high school and middle school. Because of state funding cuts, the district must come up with $2.3 million to continue its campus security aide program.
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