__________________________________________Ask the DA
 

WHY WAIT TO REPORT A SCHOOL CRIME?

Question: I just read a story about a girl who was raped by a group of boys in school. The school waited several hours before calling the police. Why would they do this?

I believe you are referring to the case that occurred last week in a Westchester school, where it was reported that school officials neglected to contact the proper authorities for several hours after a rape had occurred and instead chose to conduct their own investigation into the crime. 

In the past here in Brooklyn, this type of response to a school crime was all too common.  School officials would often take the approach that crimes committed within the school were, first and foremost, their business.  To some degree, this approach parallels the way society has historically viewed domestic violence crimes – that is, they are a private matter. 

The reality is that a crime is a crime, whether it occurs on a public street, in a home or in a school, and it must be treated accordingly. Well-meaning school officials can seriously impede the ability of the police and prosecutors to do their jobs when they delay the reporting of crimes and further complicate matters by performing their own “investigations.” 

In 1997, I created the School Advocacy Bureau in part to address this very issue.  The mission of the bureau is to vigorously investigate and prosecute school crime in order to insure that our schools are a safe place for learning. The staff of the bureau includes attorneys who themselves are former educators, well-acquainted with Brooklyn’s schools.  In addition to prosecuting cases, the bureau offers its services to all aspects of the school community – PTAs, faculty, student body – to speak on any topic of concern. 

When I started the bureau, I made sure that my staff reached out to principals, teachers, union officials, school safety and police officers in order to educate and train them in best practices for proceeding in these types of cases.  Initially, school officials voiced the concern that reporting every incident that might occur within a school could result in permanent damage to the school’s reputation.

Additionally, their sense of obligation to the children they supervise is very real and, in the event of a crime, often extends both to the perpetrator as well as the victim. These are legitimate concerns on the part of school officials. However, in the end, no one is served if a crime goes unreported or the integrity of a criminal case is compromised. 

I am happy to report that through the diligent efforts of the School Advocacy Bureau, the NYPD and school administrators here in Brooklyn, delays in reporting of school crimes have lessened considerably, and we are continuing to work with the Department of Education to streamline procedures for all school incidents. 

For additional information call 718-250-4899, or visit www.brooklynda.org. To have your questions answered in a future column, send them to asktheda@brooklynda.org