The Detroit Public Schools Police Department (DPSPD) reported significant declines in the number of crimes reported and arrests made compared to the previous school year.
The Department filed 711 reports during the 2014-15 school year, which is down more than 300 from last school year’s total of 1,003.
Significant category declines include:
- Armed robbery declined 74 percent (from 27 to 7)
- Felony assaults declined 14 percent (from 49 to 42);
- Larceny declined 56 percent (from 153 to 67)
- Exposing declined 85 percent (from 20 to 3)
“DPS continues to identify methods and work in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, as well as citizens of good will to keep its schools and the surrounding community safe,” said Chief Stacy Brackens DPS Police Department. “Our parents continue to emphasize that safety is their number one concern surrounding their children’s education. And the DPSPD’s priority is safety first for our students, families and staff.”
DPS worked throughout the 2014-2015 school year to implement improved climate and culture programs districtwide with specialized staff training on Restorative Practices and student training including, Crime Stoppers’ Project Safe Campus, which is a key initiative of the District’s Teen Leadership Institute (TLI).
This school year, two new modules – conferencing and grief counseling — will be added to the Restorative Practices training. Conferencing training will help students who have been readmitted after expulsion or suspension to be transitioned back into a positive learning environment, and trauma and grief counseling will help students who are experiencing a hardship such as dealing with death.
The District also continues to seek additional citizen volunteers to patrol areas around campuses heavily traveled by students.
While parents indicate they generally feel schools are safe, annual parent surveys conducted by the District continue to point out their concern with keeping their students safe on the routes they travel going to and from school.
Brackens called for more volunteers to join the effort. There are no minimum number of days required per week for citizen patrollers, but volunteers are asked to commit to at least one of the time slots. Sample full-time slots are: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
For more information information, call (313) 240-4DPS (4377) or (313) 873-7490.
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