NYPD Should Stay In City Schools, Mayor De Blasio Says

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio holds firm on his belief that the NYPD should maintain its presence in city schools, despite nationwide calls to limit the scope of police power.

"School safety is necessary in its current form to keep ensuring safety in our schools," de Blasio said. "We have to think about the reality of safety and what each agency knows how to do."

De Blasio, who has pledged to decrease the NYPD's $6 billion budget but not clarified by how much, argued during his press briefing Wednesday that violence remains a problem in schools only police can solve.

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"Safety is the number one concern of all parents," de Blasio said. "I personally believe the better approach is to consider what we have but improve it."

School Safety, the NYPD arm which has been stationed in city schools since former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in office, is one of several branches of the department that Defund The NYPD supports argue should be transferred to other city departments.

At the heart of the discussion over police reform is the perception of safety; who feels protected by police and who feels threatened.

Among them is City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who said Tuesday New York City should "follow the lead of cities like Minneapolis," which recently disbanded its police force.

De Blasio said he is considering removing police from social services but hinted he would prioritize crime rates over police reform.

"We're looking at all options," the mayor said. "But we're doing it from a prism of what's fair and what's going to help people stay safe."

While the mayor argued School Safety officers provide peace of mind to parents who worry about weapons being brought into city schools, a recent study from the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board suggests parents of children of color have different fears.

The analysis released this week shows nearly 90 percent of police misconduct grievances toward minors, filed between January 2018 and June 2019, involved children of color.

Among those cited was an 8-year-old and 14-year-old who were handcuffed and taken to a local precinct after officers saw them running with sticks in their hands.

The mayor also announced a $10 million investment to expand Cure Violence, a grassroots organization that goes into potentially violent situations without weapons in hopes of deescalating without police presence, to a total 20 New York City precincts.

The program will expand into Soundview in The Bronx, Jamaica in Queens, Crown Heights and Canarsie in Brooklyn, the mayor said.

"There's still way too much violence out there," de Blasio said. "We see with the cure violent movement, a different approach to peace."

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