Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams wants the city’s police department to assume control over security at public schools. Williams is acting after the fatal shooting of a high school student on Monday. The plan would differ from other area school system operations, in which educators are in charge of security. The mayor is responding to public outrage that included a six-hour public meeting on Tuesday night.
The Washington Post says Williams believes that his efforts to toughen the city’s juvenile justice system and take control of the school system will improve security. He wants to make the school superintendent a member of his cabinet and strip the school board of most of its powers.
D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said that police could improve security in schools if they received extra officers and money. “It’s what we do for a living,” Ramsey said. “We are police officers. We have sworn powers. Dealing with young people is something that we are not unaccustomed to.”
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14067-2004Feb4.html