NYCLU to NYPD: They're kids, not criminals!

Here’s the New York Civil Liberties Union’s (NYCLU) analysis of over 300 arrests that it charges took place illegally in city schools between 2005-07. Minor infractions, such as those listed in the table, should be handled by educators within schools, NYCLU and other advocates argue, but instead, students are treated arrested, stigmatizing them as criminals. NYCLU believes that this is part of a larger pattern of pushing out rather than supporting and educating students with chronic behavior problems.

As reported in the Daily News and Times today, NYCLU sent a letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, urging him to “immediately issue a directive informing all NYPD personnel in public schools of the prohibitions set forth in Section 305.2 of the Family Court Act, and that you take steps to ensure enforcement of this provision.”

NYCLU supports the Student Safety Act, which would require more transparency in reporting school safety incidents and would provide a grievance process for students who believe they were treated inappropriately by school safety agents.