From Fox 23 News:
3,160.that’s the number of suspensions so far this year in Tulsa Public Schools. The actual number of suspended students, is lower than that because some students are suspended more than once. But, police say, whatever the number some of the them are causing even more problems when they’re kicked out of class.
“We have officers out patrolling we do see individuals who are school age, but aren’t in school for some reason and many are out there committing crimes,” says Tulsa Police Officer Leland Ashley. Officers say for some teens it’s a way of life, but officers are aware of the problem and it’s something they’re working on. “When we see a crime trend or burglary trend saturate those types of areas,” says Officer Ashley.
Officers say another problem, kids skipping school and committing crimes. In some cases, parents could end up getting arrested and even charged for not sending their kids to school.
Officers say if you see teens out during school hours and they look like they may be up to something, it’s important to call the police, so they can check it out.
This story was fine until the very end where they encourage the public to “call the police” if they see any suspicious looking young people loitering during school hours. We really have to get beyond involving law enforcement constantly in issues that can be resolved using community accountability models.
