New York City schools are the safest they’ve been in years, according to data released Tuesday in the 2019 Mayor’s Management Report.
The NYPD’s School Safety Division clocked fewer felony school safety incidents during the 2018-2019 school year than the 2017-2018 school year, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s annual look back on the last fiscal year.
There were 22 fewer felony reports in schools, the data shows.
The number of incidents in other criminal categories declined by almost a quarter, from 2,026 during the 2017-2018 school-year to 1,537 this past year. Non-criminal incidents declined by nearly 18 percent, from 5,112 to 4,202.
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“Our approach is working — schools are getting safer as suspensions drop, and we’re investing in communities that are welcoming and inclusive for all students,” Department of Education Spokesperson Miranda Barbot told the Brooklyn Eagle. “We’ve increased access to social-emotional learning and restorative practices, hired more social workers to support our schools, and continued our strong partnership with the NYPD.”
The report also credited a “long-established collaborative partnership” between the DOE and the NYPD (specifically the School Safety Division). According to the report, the agency and the department have worked together to establish the best safety protocols and procedures, develop comprehensive school safety and emergency preparedness plans and maintain a safe environment for students and staff.
Authors of the report noted work done by the DOE’s Office of Safety and Youth Development, which the report says “works closely with schools to provide a safe, supportive and inclusive environment by investing in and expanding successful school climate programs – including restorative trainings, mental health programs and social-emotional supports.”
The MMR is released twice a year at the mandate of the City Charter.
A preliminary version released each February provides an early update of how city agencies are performing four months into the fiscal year. The full fiscal report, published each September, looks retrospectively at the city’s performance during the prior fiscal year.
