N.Y.C. Admin. Code § L.L. 2005/004: L.L. 2005/004

Enactment date: 1/5/2005

Int. No. 226-A

By Council Members Vallone Jr., Moskowitz, Addabbo Jr., Fidler, Foster, Gentile, Koppell, Nelson, Weprin, Palma, Gennaro, Sanders Jr., Liu, Comrie, Recchia Jr., Vann, McMahon, Seabrook, Rivera, Felder, Katz, Sears, Martinez and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring the police department and the department of education to provide the public with information regarding school violence.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Legislative intent and findings.

In order to combat violence in our schools, residents of the city must have accurate information on the number and types of incidents occurring and where these incidents are taking place. This information must be made public so that parents are aware of the safety conditions within which their children learn and so that our civic leaders can institute meaningful reform.

The police department collects and reports information about criminal incidents and certain non-criminal incidents that occur in the schools. The Department of Education currently provides information to the public on its website about incidents in schools based on reports prepared by the Police Department. In addition, the Department of Education maintains the Online Occurrence Reporting System ("OORS"), in which information concerning violent and seriously disruptive incidents in the schools (in addition to other types of information not related to school safety) is recorded. The information relevant to school safety in OORS is not currently reported by the Department of Education on its website.

To help parents and the public understand and fully assess the problem of school crime and other serious disruptive incidents, the DOE must continue to post school safety data on the internet and to enhance and improve upon the information that is provided. By receiving this information, the public will be in a better position to analyze and comment upon any inconsistencies and to weigh in on proposed policy amendments.

* * *

[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

* * *

§ 3. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment.