Report: School violence down 7 percent in '05-'06 Decrease comes after almost 50 percent spike previous year BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent The 2005-06 school year was safer than the previous year for Brick's students, according to the district's annual violence and vandalism report released last week. "I think we're headed in the right direction," Superintendent Thomas L. Seidenberger said during the Board of Education's public meeting Oct. 11. After a three-year steady decline of incidents, there was an almost 50 percent spike in reportable violence and vandalism incidents during the 2004-05 school year. The overall number of incidents declined 9 percent, from 233 incidents in 2004-05 to 212 last year. In three of the four reporting categories - violence, weapons and substance abuse - there was a decrease in reported incidents from the 2004-05 school year. Reports of violence dropped 7 percent, from 180 cases to 167; weapons possession on school grounds fell 45 percent, from nine to five incidents; and substance abuse cases declined by 29 percent, from 31 to 22 cases, according to district statistics. There were 85 simple assaults last year, which accounted for 40 percent of the 212 incidents. "A simple assault is a student puts a hand on someone else," Seidenberger said. "Pushing, shoving. Minor incidents." Seidenberger's report also breaks down the type of violent acts that occurred at the schools. There were 57 fights last year, which accounted for 27 percent of the total number of incidents. There were 12 instances of threats and 11 cases of harassment, which accounted for 6 percent and 5 percent of the total number of reports, respectively. There were also three aggravated assaults, three reported thefts, two bomb threats, two arson cases, two fireworks cases and one trespassing incident. The only major reporting category in which there was a rise was in acts of vandalism, which increased 39 percent, from 13 cases in 2004-05 to 18 cases in 2005-06. Of the 18 acts of vandalism, four cases - graffiti at Brick Memorial High School and Veterans Memorial Middle School - cost the district a total of $1,801. Seidenberger said that the students involved were apprehended and the police department and prosecutor's office will receive restitution. "The parents are responsible and we've exercised our right to collect," he said. Of the 212 reported incidents, 44 percent, or 94 cases, occurred on the high school level; 36 percent, or 77 cases, occurred at the middle school level; and the remaining 19 percent, or 41 cases, were at the elementary school level. By state law, the district is required to report the actions taken in response to violations, and offender and victim information. Out-of-school suspensions were issued 260 times. Eleven in-school suspensions were tallied and other forms of discipline were applied twice. As in the four previous years, there were no expulsions in the 2005-06 school year. Police were notified by the district 22 times, according to the report. Twenty of those cases resulted in a filed complaint. There were 236 offenders accounted for in the report, of which 163 were regular education students and 69 were students with a disability. Offender information for four individuals was unknown. Of the 105 reported victims, 69 were regular education students, 23 were students with a disability, one was a nonstudent, and 12 were school personnel. None of the incidents in the report were gang-related, Seidenberger said Monday. "Some people are jumping to a lot of conclusions right now," he said. "If anybody asked me, I'd say no, we do not have gang activity in the school." He said the issue is not being ignored. "We did have a briefing with police and have agreed to take a certain chart of action," he said. That action includes keeping in constant contact with the police, he said. Both high schools principals met with police earlier this fall and teachers have been provided with some briefings, Seidenberger said. Both high schools also have police officers stationed at the schools. "We passed out information to our staff members - a whole bunch of web sites," he said. "We've done our due diligence." The report was approved by the board and will now be submitted to the state.