SCHOOLS REPORT RISE IN DRUG CRIME, VIOLENCE

State data show decrease in property offenses, though dollar losses
increased last year. Costly arsons are blamed for higher price tag.

California public schools reported an increase in violent crime and
drug and alcohol offenses last year, and a decrease in property
crimes, according to a new state report.

Despite the drop in property crimes like vandalism and burglary, the
losses incurred by schools grew from about $17 million to $25 million.
State officials attributed the higher price tag to several costly
arson fires.

Data from the report published by the California Department of
Education showed an 11% jump in drug and alcohol offenses. One reason
for the increase was a change in state law that added possession of
marijuana paraphernalia to the list of incidents school officials must
report, officials said.

Violent crimes rose 7%, due largely to an increase in incidents of
battery--the use of force or violence on another person. Four students
out of every 1,000 were victims of violent crimes, according to the
report.

The number of confiscated guns, 637, remained about the same, while
6,168 knives were found in students' possession, a small increase.
These weapons are rarely used during altercations.

Even with the increases, California schools are generally safer than
the neighborhoods around them, state Supt. of Public Instruction
Delaine Eastin said. About 13 campus offenses were committed for every
1,000 public school students statewide last year.

"The reality is that our schools continue to be safe havens for the
vast majority of our students," said Eastin. "We're obviously
disappointed that drugs and alcohol are up and battery is up."

In Los Angeles County schools, the overall crime rate was below the
state average. Crime in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the
state's largest, was lower than the county rate.

In mid-March, a task force created by Eastin and Atty. Gen. Bill
Lockyer will offer recommendations for improving school safety,
including a call for more counselors on campuses, Eastin said.

State officials acknowledge that the completeness and accuracy of
figures can vary because districts are responsible for reporting their
own data.

But they stressed that on-site visits and training workshops are
improving the accuracy of the report.

"We have a lot more confidence in our numbers [this year] than we
probably ever have," Eastin said. She said that the increased accuracy
had contributed to the rise in crime rates.

Officials at the Long Beach Unified School District agreed, saying
on-site monitoring by state officials last year had resulted in a more
thorough crime report.

In previous years, the school's data often left out property crimes
discovered by after-hours maintenance workers and incidents thought to
be insignificant, a district spokesman said.

As a result, the district's overall crime rate more than doubled to
13.7 incidents per 1,000 students. A district spokesman, Richard Van
Der Laan, said that should not be cause for alarm.

"I think there would be a cause for concern if it increases in future
years," he said. "More thorough and complete reporting are largely
responsible for the changes you see." The new figures will provide a
baseline for comparison in future years, Van Der Laan said.

"It does no one any favors--no schools, no students, no parents--to be
an ostrich with your head in the sand," Van Der Laan said. "You need
to know what's going on and compare each ensuing year with that."

Students playing pranks after last April's Columbine shooting more
than doubled the number of bomb threats made to schools, from 236 to
548 incidents statewide. But these offenses represented less than 1%
of all crimes.