Danielle's blog will be posted later...

A coalition of students, parents, and civil rights activists gathered at police headquarters today to urge the NYPD to stop over-policing students. This comes after the latest NYPD data showed more than 800 students were arrested or served summonses in City schools during the last three months of 2011. During the 55 school days between October 1 and December 31, nearly 300 students were arrested, and about 94% of them were black and Latino. While black students represent only 29% of the student population, they accounted for more than 60% of arrests. The vast majority of those arrested, about 75%, were of males. And, about 19% of the arrests were of children between eleven and 14 years old.

The arrest numbers have increased significantly from the those released in November. In the fall we learned that from July 1 to September 30, a time span that includes summer school and the first few weeks of regular classes, school safety agents and officers arrested 63 students and issued 182 summonses.

While current data do not describe the facts of the incidents, critics say too many students are arrested for minor offenses, like writing on desks, cursing, or pushing. They say this conduct simply warrants a trip to the principal’s office. Advocates like the New York Civil Liberties Union argue too many school children are being treated as criminals, and are pushed into the criminal justice system. Other critics say the NYPD should have no place in schools. What do you say?

Do you think the NYPD has too much control over school safety? Why do you think the number of arrests increased? What’s your reaction to the way the Department of Education is handling student discipline? What more can be done to prevent this so-called school-to-prison pipeline?