SCHOOL CRIME JUMP LINKED TO BETTER REPORTING

Officials Say Pupils Are More Willing To Help Teachers And Police.

A 17% jump in violent crimes reported on California campuses last year
reflects improved communication between pupils and educators, officials
said in response to state statistics made public Wednesday.

At elementary schools, violent crimes increased for the fourth consecutive
year. For the first time, violent incidents such as hitting and bullying
replaced property crimes such as vandalism as the most frequently reported
among the state's youngest pupils.

In local schools, officials said pupils' willingness to assist educators
and police was the reason for additional reporting of crime and plans to
commit crime.

Statewide, rates increased slightly for drug and alcohol use and property
crimes. Fewer weapons were found on campuses, and there were fewer bomb
threats.

The report covers about 1,000 school districts and county education offices
serving 5.9 million children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

"While our schools continue to be extremely safe havens for the
overwhelming number of our students," more must be done to teach students
how to resolve conflicts without violence, said state schools
Superintendent Delaine Eastin.

Some of the increases, particularly in drug and alcohol use, are
attributable to improved reporting of crimes by school districts, she said.

In Clovis Unified School District, crime reports were up slightly across
the board. Drug and alcohol offenses made the steepest climb, from 2.06 to
4.48 per 1,000 students. Property crime was down slightly.

Fresno and Central unified school districts posted mixed results.

In Fresno Unified, battery rose from 8.41 to 16.38 per 1,000 students, and
drug and alcohol offenses rose from 4.33 to 6.88 per 1,000 students.

The rising numbers correlate directly to stronger relationships with
students, said Jill Marmolejo, spokeswoman for Fresno Unified School District.

"If you are vigilant about reporting all incidents, your numbers are going
to go up," she said. "It's an indication that we are catching things at the
lowest levels, before they can escalate. a School safety is not about
fences and metal detectors; it's about communication and relationships. Do
kids feel safe enough to report things that bother them?"

Bee staff writer Marc Benjamin contributed to this report.