5 NYC Students Arrested By NYPD Every Day In School, 90 Percent Are Black Or Latino

An average of 5 students were arrested each day in New York City schools during the last three months of 2011, new NYPD data reveals. And of those students, a staggering 90 percent were black or latino.

In accordance with the School Safety Act passed by City Council--which requires the NYPD to release the school arrest statistics every three months--the NYPD released this report showing that from October 1 to December 31 of 2011, 279 students were arrested and another 532 students were issued summonses, mostly for disorderly conduct.

Despite comprising only 29 percent of the student population, black students made up 60 percent of the arrests while latinos, made up 30 percent. 75 percent of those arrested were male.

Teenage demonstrators gathered outside One Police Plaza Wednesday, CBS reports, chanting "Dignity For All Students” and “More Books, No Cops.”

One student at the protest said, "You have wonder what is the number going to be for the whole school year and we need to ask ourselves 'Is this school safety? Is this the NYPD showing us that they're keeping us safe by arresting us and giving us court summons for the most minor things?"

New York Civil Liberties Union executive director Donna Lieberman said in a statement, “If the Bloomberg administration is truly serious about helping young men of color succeed, then they must address these disparities and focus more attention on educating children--not arresting them.” She continued, "We call on the mayor, the schools chancellor and the police commissioner to commission an independent audit of these incidents of arrests to assess whether these situations would be better handled by educators. And to find out what the impact has been on children who misbehaved and, as a result, were sent into the criminal justice system."

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne was quick to respond to the NYCLU's criticisms. "The NYCLU talks about arrests in schools but, conveniently, not crimes. There were 801 felonies in the schools last year, compared to 1,577 in 2001 before the current administration took office."

The last report on school arrests, released in November, revealed that during summer school in 2011, one student was arrested in New York every day, 94 percent of whom were black or latino.

Comments

[MorpheusXNYC]

01:12 AM on 02/28/2012

Bad kids of whatever race need to be removed from the class. They are disruptive and interfere with the other students' learning.

They need help, but the classroom is not the place where they're going to get it.

[Mas]

05:35 PM on 02/27/2012

Recently there was a shooting where a worker shot two of his supervisors; another where an 8 year old was shot at school, and today another five students were shot. If these incidents had been in the black communities on every cable news channel or talk radio there would have been an AA speaking about the violence in the schools, community, and home. When these incidents happen in other communities, no one races to the network to say its because of their community or home life with the exception being "video games." Taking out the x-boxes out of their homes will not stop the violence, nor access to weapons from their home will stop the violence. Honest dialog that violence does not happen in one community more than others will help. Children die in America, mainly because many children and adults continue to look at certain people as the problem, but right now as you read this an Amber alert was initiated, another woman was beaten, another woman was dismembered by a person close to her that does not look like me.

[REMOVETHEVEIL]

01:23 AM on 02/27/2012

I feel sorry for the teachers first b/c they are in a situation where many of the students are there to learn and listen in an attempt to make a better life for themselves and their families but I also feel sorry for the students who are forced into these classrooms with individuals who have no interest in learning or making a better life for themselves or even trying to make their parents proud. The statistics are very high for miniority arrest and anyone who is a criminal justice professional will tell you that but I think that it has to be said that if you are breaking the law then what do you expect the police or the school to do? Yes I think that in a considerable number of cases that minorities are targeted but I also feel that they make themselves a target by making choices that are less then condusive to their success. I feel that these children need better educational options but they also need to be ready to receive these options. The parents need to be more involved with their progress to help them stay clear of the negative influences that they often come in contact with in these areas.

[Matthew Fogg]

01:03 AM on 02/27/2012

When I was a supervisor Inspector Federal agent in a joint Federal, State and Municipal drug and gun interdiction task force -- I protested that we specifically targeted inner-city violators as apposed to the affluent suburban violators only because the inner city violators were less likely or capable of challenging our illegal search, seizures etc... and being less likely to have a legal support system. We were afraid to target the White affluent suburban violators the same because we were told their supporters would have influence to shut down our operations and therefore just target the "weakest links". It became ethnic cleansing and the reason we see such disparities in the criminal justice statistics today. When I blew the whistle I too became a target of racial hatred. See > www.BigotsWithBadges.com Racism in law enforcement is an epidemic called "Jim Crow" alive and well within American justice and majority America could care less. People of color will remain the victims until they come together and say enough is enough!!!

[Chi Man Sam]

04:36 PM on 02/26/2012

There is a difference in the kind of school and
niegborhood you live in. In the suburbs or more
affluent middle and high schoolbeing the smartest
kid in class is not look down upon, you may be called
a nerd but its not a bad thing. In the inner city where
gangs are in schools and being respected or feared
can get you through a year safely, priorities change.
In single parent homes where a kid learns how to be a
man in the streets before he knows what it is to be the
man of house education takes a back seat. For many
of these kids its survival of the fittest.
Theres a highschool in Chicago called Roberto Clemete High
Its 8 stories high has 1400 students, its surrounded by four
rival gangs, its a tough enviorment to put studieds ahead of
sometimes survival, there are no easy solutions and it won't change
soon.

[Onyxist]

03:21 PM on 02/26/2012

the reason they lock up blacks is because we are the only one's that don't pay them off.. $$$ is the root of this evil..

[serinat]

06:53 AM on 02/26/2012

Gee, maybe it's because blacks and Latinos commit 90% of the crimes and disturbances. Ever think of that?

[blackdiamondcynth]

10:18 AM on 02/27/2012

Your statement is proff that proganda works.....Congrats

[Serina Cox]

03:57 PM on 02/27/2012

Oh you mean the propaganda that blacks and latino's are mostly innocent.

[kmk2y]

11:28 PM on 02/25/2012

Teachers can not teach children who are defiant and a threat to everyones safety. Some students are not ready to sit and listen. They despise school and authority. The teacher is expected to provide a safe and nurturing enviroment to all students. How can he/she do this when the students refuse, hit, or verbally abuse teacher and peers. I know how, call in the security.. Unruly students should not be in the classroom to disrupt the other students who want to learn.

[Knowledgeseeker]

10:01 PM on 02/25/2012

We need better school system and more apportunities for these kids

[Winter Skye]

12:53 AM on 02/26/2012

You, too. It's OPPORTUNITIES. ((facepalm))

[charleyvldm9]

05:24 PM on 02/25/2012

Its the consequences of the poor choices they make, but then again at that age (under 28) they dont know what I am talking about.The frontal lobe of the brain has not yet developed.

[Winter Skye]

12:54 AM on 02/26/2012

So Hispanics and Black kids have defective frontal lobes but not Whites?

[shelvern]

03:27 PM on 02/27/2012

Good question but whites have been taught this for many years. In the home, schools, reaction by authories is why police react to young Black kids by knowing that they are bad,if they have not committed a crime, they will. The right thing is to arrest them. The judges have the smae mentallity. Where as, the white youngster will be let go.

The writer does not know anything about frontal lobes, but he believes without a doubt that blacks are inferior to him. The media and politicans spend a lot of money to carry on this nonsence.

[Onyxist]

02:26 PM on 02/25/2012

humanity nowadays is all abt ; mankind(a kind of man) vs. man(originals) or ppl with fur(neanderthal types) vs. ppl with hair(blacks) .. and only God could save us from u devils

[bluecranechick]

12:48 PM on 02/27/2012

Why dont you try saving yourself,God is very busy,but helping oneself means hard work and self discipline,maybe to much to ask.

[Imago1122]

01:37 PM on 02/25/2012

It's a vicious circle. Racism and colorism exist without a doubt. But so does the extraordinarily high incidence of black on black crime and the appalling silence of the black community on this front. I wonder if racial profiling would keep going on if a groundswell occurred in the black community that resulted in the majority of blacks assuming prominent positions in society?

It's one extreme or the other. We as a society bemoan the lack of infrastructure in inner city schools but forget that sometimes where there's a will there's also a way as evidenced by foreign students from poor countries and poorer backgrounds who come to North America with all the focus in the world.

Poor blacks cling to the well worn reasons and continue to make them into excuses. On the other hand, some well off blacks and whites either encourage them on this platform or adopt a withering condescending attitude. A middle ground is necessary: compassion, understanding and liberal does of tough love because, regardless of how one paints it, it's necessary to fight the war with the best skills necessary. These skills don't necessarily include becoming educated professionals but do emphasize hard work in whatever discipline one has chosen. Hard work is important in any community as is the understanding that people who are legitimately not able to work are no less worthy.

[sunshinelady5487]

01:13 PM on 02/25/2012

Clear Your Arrest Record through Expungement!
Please visit www.laylaandersonlegalservices.org or www.wedropit.org

[Ainsi sera groigne qui]

06:58 PM on 02/25/2012

Nice but NYS does not have an expungment statue. Once one has a conviction record in New York that is the end. The only hope is to have either the thing over turned on appeal or similar method.

There is a statue that allows for persons to withdraw their guilty pleas and thus in theory a conviction but it is *VERY* difficult and only results in the case being sent back to the courts for trial. The hope often is that the DA's office will not proceed with retrial but that is a slim to nil chance.

Because it is so difficult to withdraw a guilty plea in NYS it is one of the reasons behind those with no or poor legal representation being *told* to plead guilty when any sort of plea deal is offered. LE, DA's office and the courts know that once someone goes down that route they've "got them" so to speak.

Indeed there are persons sitting in NYS prisons serving long terms for things such as murder and other crimes that they did not commit or the likely chances of them being convicted based upon the evidence (with a good lawyer) would have been slim. However because they took the guilty plea even with a strong case that proves their innocence, they are stuck in prison.

[stopnlisten]

12:36 PM on 02/25/2012

So don't arrest any black or latino youths causing trouble until 7 white kids have been arrested. It will make some pie chart look better somewhere! Geez. That's not going to solve anything but the numbers game. Maybe the reason behind the disproptionate number should be addressed instead of automatically jumping to racism. Of course...that sounds racist too so don't anyone dare go there.
Hint: poverty, unemployment, social problems (gangs.)

[blackdiamondcynth]

10:29 AM on 02/27/2012

No it's all about color. Ex. My son was in high school and stood ^ft tall. He attended a game at the High School, he wanted to walk home but my husband and I said no we will pick you up. Driving to the school we saw a group of kids (Black) on one side of the road and a group of kids (white) on the other, neither group was causing a problem but was waiting for the "walk" sign to cross the street. At that time we saw blue flasing lights pull up by the Black kids and a white cop jumps out yelling and screaming for them to cross the street and move on. The "Do not walk" sign was flashing and this cops was getting angry at the kids for not crossing. My son happen to be in this group and although he didn't say anything because I was watching the cop immediately got up in his face, yelling and calling him a boy and asking him if he understood simple instructions. I got out of the vehice and approach and asked what was the problem he started yelling at me, I wasn't having it I took his name and badge number got phone number from other parents and reported his sorry ass.
My son was guilty of being black. We deal with this abuse from cops even if you don't want to believe it

[mark1966]

09:31 AM on 02/25/2012

No matter what color you are,you choose the right path or wrong path.If you choose the wrong path,you suffer what happens to you.You have no one to blame except for yourself.Stop blaming other people and blame yourself.People choose to commit crimes,its called free choice.

[LastAngryWoman]

12:19 PM on 02/25/2012

That has not been my experience.

Literally, I have been on one of these "good paths" with a friend. Two of us on the right path.
"They" came along and offered something great and purty and sweet...and they looked at the two of us on the right path...and they gave it to me. Without blinking.

But then, I had swedishvikingbody thing going on...bright blue eyes...impish grin...she, my colleague...had an accent, brown skin, bad skin, and a gold tooth.

Oh..yeah, she also knew the material and was about infinity and beyond smarter than I was or is.

Same path...a good path...a bright and shiny path. Two happy eager people on it...ready for the future...aaaaaaaaaaaannd....not so much.

Forty years have gone by....I have not really experienced any difference. Bigotry and indeed racism is deeply entrenched in large numbers of us. I include all "races". But white...oh man, are we a nuttylot. serialliars...I can't believe it myself sometimes, how it's stacked. So obviiously stacked. And folks still sit around sipping tea going blah blah blah blah blah blah
translation; "I'm not like that".