REPORTS OF CRIME RISE ON GASTON CAMPUSES

But Gaston, Lincoln Stay Comparatively Low

Reported crimes in Gaston County Schools more than doubled from
2004-05 to 2005-06, according a new state report on school violence.

Despite this increase, Gaston County's crime rate is low compared to
school districts across the state.

Lincoln County Schools' crime rate is also far lower than the state
rate of 7.9 crimes per 1,000 students. Lincoln County Schools' rate,
3.5, was among the lowest in the state.

Among school districts with 20,000 or more students, Gaston County
had the lowest rate -- 4.9. With just a few hundred students less
than Gaston, Union County had a rate of 8.4, for example.

School districts have different policies on which crimes they must
report, leading to skepticism of the report. But in Gaston and
Lincoln, school officials say that principals are required to report
these crimes to the central office, which compiles the data annually
for the state.

Principals that falsify reports or try to hide crimes could be fired,
said Jim Watson, Lincoln County Schools superintendent.

Rise since 2003-04

The number of crimes in Gaston County Schools has steadily increased
since the 2003-04 school year, when the system reported 37 incidents.
There were 67 incidents in 2004-05, and 156 incidents were reported
in 2005-06. The total student enrollment only increased by about 400
students during that time period though.An increased crime rate could
mean there are more crimes being committed in schools, but it could
also signify that schools are doing a better job catching these
crimes, officials say.

About half of last year's incidents involved possession of a
controlled substance.

There is a police officer posted in every Gaston County high school
and middle school, something that Gaston County Police Capt. Bill
Melton said leads to more instances of finding drugs on campus.

He also attributes the higher numbers to anonymous tips from students
and random metal detector searches during school and at events.

There were no serious violent crimes reported in Gaston County
schools.

There were five reported instances of possession of firearms last
school year. Two of the firearms, Melton said, were found during a
random search at North Gaston High. Students had gone hunting and
left the guns in the car, he said.

The 34 instances of possession of a weapon typically involved pocket
knives, schools spokeswoman Bonnie Reidy said.

There were 24 reported assaults on school personnel, though none
resulted in serious injury, according to the data. These assaults are
typically not directed at the personnel, said Ashbrook High School
Principal Page Carver. Often a staff member is breaking up a fight
and ends up getting hit or knocked into, she said.

Ashbrook High School and Mount Holly Middle School had the highest
number of crimes, most involving possession of a controlled substance.

Most of the possession incidents involved small amounts of marijuana.
But Carver said she thinks many students are also abusing
prescription drugs.

Carver said she thinks the system's low crime rate probably indicates
that students are refraining from bringing drugs onto campus, though
she think they're using, she said.

Carver was surprised that Ashbrook had one of the highest crime rates
among Gaston schools. But last year, Ashbrook had a police officer
posted in the school who was formerly an undercover vice officer. He
trained the school's staff.

"It's vigilance," she said. "You've got to work hard, but we by no
means catch all of it."

Decrease in Lincoln

Lincoln County Schools had relatively few instances of crime -- 41 --
last school year, a decrease from the previous year's 56.

Watson said he hopes the decrease in crime, combined with consistent
safety plans, mean the school system is on the right track.

Like Gaston, most of Lincoln County's incidents related to drug and
alcohol possession.

There are resource officers in all of Lincoln County's high schools.
Watson said he would like to add officers at middle schools with the
hope of sparking dialogue and preventing future crimes.

"Unfortunately, sometimes at the high school level it's more
intervention than prevention," he said.

School Crime

GASTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Here is the breakdown of the 156 criminal acts reported last school
year:

82 -- Possession of a controlled substance.

34 -- Possession of a weapon.

24 -- Assaults on school personnel.

8 -- Possession of an alcohol beverage.

5 -- Possession of a firearm.

3 -- Bomb threats.

LINCOLN COUNTY SCHOOLS

Here is the breakdown of the 41 criminal acts reported last school
year:

18 -- Possession of alcoholic beverage.

15 -- Possession of a controlled substance.

4 -- Possession of a weapon.

3 -- Bomb threats.

1 -- Burning of school building.