Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

LAUSD Board To Discuss Reforms To LA School Police

()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education will consider three resolutions to reform the Los Angeles School Police at its next meeting on June 23.

The three resolutions, published in the agenda for next week's meeting, were put forward by board members Mónica García, Jackie Goldberg and George McKenna.

"Reimagining School Safety and Investing in Our Highest Need Students"

García's resolution focuses on the school police budget. If passed, it would require Superintendent Austin Beutner to drastically reduce the Los Angeles School Police budget over the next three years, starting with a 50% reduction in the 2021-2022 school year and rising to a 90% reduction by 2023-2024.

Support for LAist comes from

The resolution calls for the funds to be reallocated "to the highest need schools in support of African American students."

"Reexamining the Role of the Los Angeles School Police Department and Reimagining Safety in Our Schools"

Goldberg's resolution calls for the creation of an "action planning group" that would explore whether the district needs its own school police department and review whether LASPD’s current policies "are appropriate for the role of a school police department, particularly with regard to use of force, use of K-9 units, pepper spray, and detention for arrest protocols."

Goldberg's resolution also would require changes to how the district's police department hires, what officers wear, and where they are stationed on campus. It also calls for a ban on using pepper spray until the planning group makes its findings in July.

"Reaffirming Our Commitment to School Safety for Our Students"

McKenna is calling to establish a committee to look at school police data and reports, and to make recommendations related to policies and training. Board members would appoint parents, educators, students, and community safety experts to this group.

According to the resolution, that group would also make recommendations to the board and superintendent by the end of August "to ensure peaceful and safe campuses and reaffirming the role of LASPD in ensuring safe, peaceful, and respectful engagements on our campuses and within our school communities."

Support for LAist comes from

Earlier this week, Beutner said he will recommend the board adopt policies banning the use of pepper spray and a controversial restraint called the carotid control hold. Beutner also said the district will review the school police budget over the summer.

The board will consider the resolutions exactly a week after grassroots group Students Deserve led a march calling to defund the district's school police force.

You can read the full text of the resolutions in the agenda for Tuesday's meeting below:

READ MORE:

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist