Criminal or violent acts rose 19% in one year in the Charlotte-Mecklenberg, NC, schools according to a Charlotte Observer news story in early March.

Yet security staffing continues to be dramatically cut by school officials. In a January story by WBTV, the district’s superintendent recommended cutting nearly $1 million from the district’s school law enforcement division, cutting about 32 campus security officers.

Last year the district cut about 60 campus security officers, according to the report.

Could these occurrences be related?

This school security “expert” has an analysis of the dramatic crime rise based upon my 25+ years of knowledge and experience: When you dramatically cut security staff, it is not unforeseeable that you can logically expect dramatic rises in criminal and violent incidents in schools.

Of course, a first grader could probably come up with the same analysis. 

Perhaps more school administrators and boards need to run their intended school safety cuts past their first graders before acting.  After all, many of these school “leaders” do not seem to be consulting with, and/or listening to, any school safety experts.

Ken Trump

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