Brunswick County, N.C.

SCHOOLS' CRIME DOWN; MORE DRUGS FOUND

BOLIVIA, N.C. - The number of violent and criminal incidents in Brunswick
County schools dropped by nearly 10 percent in the 2002-03 school year,
according to an annual report from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Brunswick County's reduction in violent and criminal incidents follows a
statewide trend. In North Carolina, the number of violent and criminal
offenses dropped from 7.7 acts per 1,000 student to 6.6.

In Brunswick County, that rate dropped from 12.3 acts per 1,000 students to
11.075.

Although Brunswick County's overall incidents decreased from 127 to 115,
the number of students caught with a controlled substance increased for the
third-straight year, reaching a six-year high.

Brunswick County Superintendent Eddy Daniel said that's because the school
system is stepping up its enforcement and not because drug use is becoming
more widespread.

"We've been able to increase our efforts at spotting or intervening with
drug use," Daniel said.

This year, the Brunswick County schools' code of conduct was revised,
making punishment for drug possession much more strict as part of a
systemwide crackdown to ban drugs from campus.

One of the reasons Daniel said more students are being caught with
controlled substances is because faculty and staff are becoming more aware
of prescription drug abuse.

Of the 115 violent or criminal offenses reported, 72 were for possession of
a controlled substance. Last year, 63 of 127 incidents were for the same
offense.

Even with the increase in possession of controlled substance incidents,
Daniel said this year's report is cause for celebration.

The number of assaults on school personnel dropped from 28 in 2001-02 to 11
last year.

The number of weapons found on campuses dropped from 21 to 14.

"We've increased the penalty for fighting. We're sending a clear message
that it will not be tolerated," he said.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, states are required to identify
"persistently dangerous schools" and offer parents the opportunity to
transfer their children from these schools to other public schools in the
district.

In North Carolina, "persistently" dangerous schools are defined as schools
in which a total of five or more violent criminal offenses are committed
per 1,000 students during each of the two most recent school years and in
which the conditions that contributed to these offenses are likely to
continue into another school year.

There are no persistently dangerous schools in Brunswick County, according
to the state Education Department.