County’s Schools Earn High Marks for Safety

Students in Ventura County’s classrooms, hallways and quads are less likely to experience assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, extortion or homicide than their peers across California, a study released today found.

The county’s schools also have fewer incidents of vandalism, arson, theft and graffiti--resulting in fewer dollars lost--than campuses statewide, according to the California Department of Education’s “Promoting Safe Schools: Presenting the Results of the 1995-1996 California Safe School Assessment.”

In the first statewide accounting of crime on school campuses in seven years, students in Ventura County schools were more likely to be busted for drug and alcohol offenses and possession of knives or guns than their counterparts throughout the state. Students in the county’s 20 school systems are slightly more prone than others in California to being sexually assaulted, raped or harassed.

“The [relatively few] incidents in our schools show that the safety of our students is very, very important,” said county schools Supt. Charles Weis. “I think this report shows two big issues. No. 1 is that my colleagues in the schools are aggressively following up on discipline-problem children. . . . No. 2, as I look at a mosaic of numbers, is that school safety relates directly to community safety.”

Oxnard’s high school district, for example, showed more crimes than most districts, probably a reflection of the community’s crime rate. Thousand Oaks, consistently ranked among the country’s safest cities with 100,000-plus residents, had relatively few incidents in its schools. Another consistently safe city, Simi Valley, displayed incongruously high crime rates--probably the result of overzealous reporting, school officials suspect.

The mosaic of numbers, as Weis termed it, is a 48-page report listing the number of criminal offenses--from vandalism to drug possession to homicide--reported in California’s 7,500-plus public schools.

Among the report’s key findings: Property crimes--vandalism, theft, burglary, graffiti and arson--accounted for 34% of the incidents statewide; crimes against people--battery, assault with deadly weapon, robbery, homicide and sexual assault--accounted for 28% of the more than 75,000 offenses.

About a quarter of the statewide infractions, 26%, involved drug or alcohol possession, use or sale. The state’s three school homicides all occurred in the mammoth Los Angeles Unified School District.

With the new report come several caveats, said Gail Evans of the education department’s School Safety Unit. The previous method of calibrating school safety, called “School Crime in California’,’ was jettisoned after the 1988-89 school year for lack of funding, she said.

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Because this particular report is in its first year, not everyone has the hang of it, she said. Though principals in one school district may have reported every lunch-line shove, those in another area may not have reported an incident if the police weren’t called. Beyond that, she said, it is impossible to detect trends from one year’s worth of data.

“We strongly advise against district-by-district comparisons because so much of the crime that occurs on school campuses is related to crime in the surrounding community,” she said. “We think that, in many cases, schools are the safe havens in the community.”

Another problem with side-by-side comparisons, Weis added, is the fact that the amount of crime reported reflects the number of times that students were caught. That means that districts that vigilantly nab knife-carrying or drug-using students can appear to have more crime than lax districts.

Administrators “are not sweeping anything under the rug,” he said.

Not surprisingly, in Ventura County smaller school districts and those that serve only elementary students tallied the fewest crimes last school year. Briggs Elementary, Mesa Union Elementary, Mupu Elementary, Ocean View Elementary, Rio Elementary, Santa Clara Elementary, Somis Union Elementary and Oak Park Unified reported virtually no crime.

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In small districts with fewer students to watch over, problems that could escalate are easier to catch, officials said. Students “think we’re overprotective, but in the end, I think they appreciate it,” said Mupu School Principal Jeanine Gore.

Though certainly safe, mark Oak Park down as one of the districts that had learning problems with the new report, said Supt. Marilyn Lippiatt.

The report “makes us look rather pristine,” she said, noting that the district probably had five or so drug or alcohol offenses that didn’t make the report, and a rare graffiti incident.

“We’re small and we have a fairly good handle on things,” she said. “But we’re not as clean as we look.”

In bigger districts, the predominant problems were property crimes, battery, and alcohol and drug offenses.

* In the report, Simi Valley, consistently ranked one of the safest cities in the country, appears “more dangerous than Compton and Inglewood,” noted Dennis Carter, director of student support services. The reason? Over-reporting, he said.

The stabbing death of 14-year-old Chad Hubbard at a Simi Valley junior high three years ago and a well-publicized sexual harassment incident where one student waved a pickle at another, have made administrators very sensitive, he said.

“School safety is such a priority . . . that people err on the side of reporting everything,” Carter said.

*

As a result, the county’s biggest school district chalked up 36.4 battery incidents for every thousand students--well above the county’s 6.98 average--and a sex-offense rate of 1.02, compared to the county’s 0.27.

“When I looked at our numbers, I said, my God, I think there’s a lack of consistency about what people are reporting and what people are not reporting,” Carter said. “I think we’re reporting everything, from the minor to the major. Any time two 7-year-olds get in a fight and throw a punch, I think [principals] are counting it as battery.”

According to the report’s definitions, that would not count as battery, he added.

* Among the 17,993 students in Conejo Valley schools, most crime rates fell below those of the state and county averages. For every 1,000 Thousand Oaks students, there are 2.95 drug and alcohol offenses. Almost all of those involved alcohol or marijuana, said Rich Simpson, assistant superintendent for instructional services. By comparison, the state’s crime rate is 3.8 incidents per 1,000; the county’s rate is 5.01.

*

But Conejo Valley students are more likely to be caught carrying weapons--but not a single gun, Simpson said--than other California pupils. The district’s weapons possession crime rate was 1.39 versus the county’s 1.29.

“Everyone who has a knife, that’s caught and reported,” he said. “Any knife--it can be a Swiss Army knife or a machete.”

The numbers in the report are consistent with the schools’ suspension and expulsion record, he said. “I think our numbers are fair and accurate. They tell it how it is.”

* With all 13,000 of its students in grades nine through 12--and no elementary students to pull down the statistics--the Oxnard Union High School District reported crime rates among the highest in the county.

*

The district--which draws students from Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo--reported a drug- and alcohol-offense crime rate of 16.95 for every 1,000 students, more than three times the county rate.

“We’d like to have zero incidents, but there are incidents where students are under the influence or [possessed] narcotics,” Supt. Bill Studt said. “I don’t know how vigorous other districts are, but we are very vigorous about pursuing [drug and alcohol offenses] so that when we find that we report it. That’s the course we have taken.”

As for the district’s two assaults with a deadly weapon, Studt noted that they involved a broomstick and a padlock wielded as weapons.

* At the 16,560-student Ventura Unified School District, school administrators reported no assaults with deadly weapons last year. The drug and alcohol crime rate was 2.96 for every 1,000 students, while the battery rate was 1.15.

Although administrators say they’re aiming for zero incidents, they attribute the low rates to campus efforts started several years ago, such as the conflict resolution program and Supt. Joseph Spirito’s efforts to emphasize core values in the school.

*

“Those things take a while to have their influence, and I think the schools have done a remarkable job of implementing those particular programs, and I think we’re seeing the results of that,” trustee Jim Wells said.

* The highest rate of drug- and alcohol-related incidents was reported by the Santa Paula Union High School District. The 1,366-student district had no battery or weapons cases, but posted about 30.7 incidents of drug and alcohol abuse for every 1,000 students.

“In the area of drug and alcohol abuse, we really do a nice job of putting the information together for students and creating alternatives,” Santa Paula Supt. William Brand said. “I don’t know if you can do any more.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Definitions

The state Department of Education gave school districts definitions for reporting incidents in the California Safe Schools Assessment:

* Drug and alcohol offenses

The possession, use, sale or furnishing of any drug, alcohol or intoxicating substance. The incidents can involve drug paraphernalia prohibited by law, as well.

* Battery

The willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon another person.

* Assault with a deadly weapon

The use of a firearm, deadly weapon or instrument against another person. A deadly weapon can be a firearm, stun gun, bows and arrows, knives or other cutting instruments, clubs, bottles, explosives and in some instances, body parts.

* Homicide

The unlawful killing of another person.

* Robbery, extortion

Robbery means the taking of property in possession of another from his person or immediate presence and against his will, accompanied by force or fear. Extortion means a threat to take or the taking of property from another person without his or her consent.

* Sex offenses

Sexual battery, rape, statutory rape, sodomy, lewd and lascivious conduct with children, oral copulation and child molestation.

* Possession of weapon

The unauthorized possession of dangerous weapons which include, but are not limited to, all kinds of guns or knives. The category can include penknives, fake guns and knives or even pencils used as weapons.

* Property crimes

Arson, burglary, vandalism and graffiti cases involving $100 or more in damage, as well as thefts involving $50 or more in damage.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

1995-96 School Crime Statistics

In the state’s first comprehensive report about school safety since 1989, Ventura County schools proved safer than California schools overall.

In the 1995-96 school year, county schools had fewer homicides, assaults with a deadly weapon, robberies and extortions per 1,000 students than schools elsewhere in the state. Furthermore, property crimes were fewer and less costly here than the state average. But county campuses posted higher rates of alcohol- and drug-related offenses, and battery and weapons possession.

Below are state, county and district-by-district results from the report “Promoting Safe Schools: Presenting the Results of the 1995-1996 California Safe Schools Assessment,” released today by the California Department of Education and the Butte County Office of Education.

For each school district, the total number of incidents is listed in the first row across. The second row across is an overall crime rate--the number of incidents for every thousand students.

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STATE TOTALS, 5.46 million students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 20,592

Crime rate: 3.80

Battery:

Number of incidents: 18,097

Crime rate: 3.30

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 1,904

Crime rate: 0.40

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: <0.001

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 1,451

Crime rate: 0.30

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 896

Crime rate: 0.20

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 6,678

Crime rate: 1.20

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 27,090

Crime rate: 4.90

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $22.7 million

Crime rate: $4.15/student

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VENTURA COUNTY, 124,253 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 622

Crime rate: 5.01

Battery:

Number of incidents: 867

Crime rate: 6.98

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 13

Crime rate: 0.10

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: -

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 11

Crime rate: .09

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 33

Crime rate: 0.27

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 160

Crime rate: 1.29

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 584

Crime rate: 4.70

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $182,007

Crime rate: $1.46/student

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BRIGGS ELEMENTARY, 413 students

(The crime rate is not listed for school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.)

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 3

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $450

Crime rate: $1.09/student

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CONEJO VALLEY UNIFIED, 17,993 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 53

Crime rate: 2.95

Battery:

Number of incidents: 28

Crime rate: 1.56

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.11

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.17

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 25

Crime rate: 1.39

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 74

Crime rate: 4.11

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $43,689

Crime rate: $2.43/student

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FILLMORE UNIFIED, 3,515 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 24

Crime rate: 6.83

Battery:

Number of incidents: 6

Crime rate: 1.71

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.57

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 11

Crime rate: 3.13

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 13

Crime rate: 3.70

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $4,454

Crime rate: $1.27/student

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HUENEME ELEMENTARY, 8,020 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.25

Battery:

Number of incidents: 11

Crime rate: 1.37

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.12

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.12

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 4

Crime rate: 0.50

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 49

Crime rate: 6.11

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $18,868

Crime rate: $2.35/student

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MESA UNION ELEMENTARY, 391 students

(The crime rate is not listed for school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.)

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 5

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $4,863

Crime rate: $12.44/student

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MOORPARK UNIFIED, 6,587 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 6

Crime rate: 0.91

Battery:

Number of incidents: 11

Crime rate: 1.67

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.15

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.30

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 8

Crime rate: 1.21

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $2,478

Crime rate: $0.38/student

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MUPU ELEMENTARY, 118 students

(The crime rate is not listed for school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.)

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 0

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $0.00

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OAK PARK UNIFIED, 2,967 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Battery:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.34

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $0.00

Crime rate: --

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OCEAN VIEW ELEMENTARY, 2,320 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.86

Battery:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.43

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.86

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $271

Crime rate: 12/student

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OJAI UNIFIED, 4,132 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 8

Crime rate: 1.94

Battery:

Number of incidents: 5

Crime rate: 1.21

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.24

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 6

Crime rate: 1.45

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 4

Crime rate: 0.97

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $2,550

Crime rate: 62/student

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OXNARD ELEMENTARY, 13,683 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 15

Crime rate: 1.10

Battery:

Number of incidents: 20

Crime rate: 1.46

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.07

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.22

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 15

Crime rate: 1.10

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 17

Crime rate: 1.24

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $7,107

Crime rate: 52/student

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OXNARD UNION HIGH, 12,983 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 220

Crime rate: 16.95

Battery:

Number of incidents: 64

Crime rate: 4.93

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.15

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.08

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 35

Crime rate: 2.70

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 69

Crime rate: 5.31

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $7,469

Crime rate: 58/student

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PLEASANT VALLEY ELEMENTARY, 6,930 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.14

Battery:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.43

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.14

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.43

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 4

Crime rate: 0.58

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 34

Crime rate: 4.91

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $11,901

Crime rate: $1.72/student

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RIO ELEMENTARY, 2,796 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 1.07

Battery:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.36

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.36

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 4

Crime rate: 1.43

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $1,850

Crime rate: 66/student

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SANTA CLARA ELEMENTARY, 37 students

(The crime rate is not listed for school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.)

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 0

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $0.00

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SANTA PAULA ELEMENTARY, 3,448 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.58

Battery:

Number of incidents: 13

Crime rate: 3.77

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.87

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.58

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 0.87

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 7

Crime rate: 2.03

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $2,100

Crime rate: 61/student

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SANTA PAULA HIGH, 1,366 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 42

Crime rate: 30.75

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 2.20

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 11

Crime rate: 8.05

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $5,796

Crime rate: $4.24/student

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SIMI VALLEY UNIFIED, 18,627 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 178

Crime rate: 9.56

Battery:

Number of incidents: 678

Crime rate: 36.4

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 2

Crime rate: 0.11

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 8

Crime rate: 0.43

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 19

Crime rate: 1.02

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 29

Crime rate: 1.56

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 266

Crime rate: 14.28

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $61,939

Crime rate: $3.33/student

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SOMIS UNION ELEMENTARY, 325 students

(The crime rate is not listed for school districts with fewer than 1,000 students.)

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 0

Battery:

Number of incidents: 0

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 0

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $0.00

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VENTURA UNIFIED, 16,560 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 49

Crime rate: 2.96

Battery:

Number of incidents: 19

Crime rate: 1.15

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 1

Crime rate: 0.06

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 17

Crime rate: 1.03

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 15

Crime rate: 0.91

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $5,745

Crime rate: 35/student

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SCHOOLS RUN BY VENTURA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OFFICE, 1,045 students

Drug and alcohol:

Number of incidents: 17

Crime rate: 16.27

Battery:

Number of incidents: 6

Crime rate: 5.74

Assault with deadly weapon:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Homicide:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Robbery, extortion:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Sex offense:

Number of incidents: 0

Crime rate: --

Possession of weapon:

Number of incidents: 5

Crime rate: 4.78

Property crimes:

Number of incidents: 3

Crime rate: 2.87

Dollar loss to district:

Number of incidents: $477

Crime rate: 46/student

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Source: California Department of Education, Butte County Office of Education