Mayor Rahm Emanuel today attended the first school-based CompStat meeting with Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Chicago Public Schools CEO JC Brizard.  The meeting focused on five high schools in Area One with the discussion centered on policing strategies designed to increase safety and reduce crime in and around schools.

“School officials are working directly with police to respond to the concerns of school leaders on the ground,” said Mayor Emanuel. “With this multilayered approach to crime reduction, quality of life improvement, personnel and resource management, we are centralizing ties to promote safety in our schools.”

During the meeting, Mayor Emanuel announced that curfew enforcement numbers are up by 15 percent since the new curfew ordinance went into effect in September.  “From September through November, we have cited 15% more young people for curfew violation compared to the same time period last year. We are doing everything we can to ensure that our children are safe inside and outside of school so that they are able to learn and achieve,” Emanuel added.

In addition, it was also noted that attendance is up from 91 to 93% as a result of anti-truancy programs.

The five high schools discussed in the CompStat meeting were located in the 007th and the 008th Districts (Area One). They are:

• William R. Harper High School, 6520 S. Wood
• John Hope College Prep, 5515 S. Lowe
• Paul Robeson High School, 6835 S. Normal
• Gage Park High School, 5630 S. Rockwell
• John F. Kennedy High School, 6325 W. 56th Street

During the CompStat meeting, District Commanders discussed crime statistics both within the schools and within a half mile radius of the school during the time period from November 7 – December 4, 2011. Commanders also discussed their school safety plans, how and where they are being implemented, and the results of implementation to date. 

The principals highlighted school statistics, discussed successful strategies they have each used in reducing incidents and improving attendance at their schools.

Mayor Emanuel stated that school-based CompStat is unique from the CompStat program used by CPD to fight and prevent crime because it gives educators and the police department a more complete picture of the environment.

”School-based CompStat will help CPS and the Police Department in our shared efforts to ensure the wellbeing of our children by reducing  crime near our schools so that can they focus on their education, not their safety,” said CPS CEO JC Brizard. “We will continue to look for innovative ways keep our children safe and secure, while walking to and from school, as well as while they’re in school.”

Accountability benchmarks for school-based CompStat will be determined and reviewed on a daily, weekly, 28-day, and yearly basis.

“CompStat is a proven crime fighting strategy that focuses on efficient policing and accountability,” said Superintendent Garry McCarthy. “Applying this data-driven approach to our schools and enhancing our work with the principals will help us better allocate our resources and keep our children safe.”

In addition to CompStat, the Emanuel Administration has made a number of investments, to ensure the safety of Chicago’s children in schools and in their communities, most notably the school-based Culture of Calm Program. Over 44,000 students are served through the program, which serves to reduce misconduct and disruptive behavior at 38 CPS schools with high safety needs. CPS will fully fund it at $16.6 million next year.  

CPS has also invested in school safety by:

• Increasing the number of school security officers at the request of its principals due to crime in their surrounding areas and major incidents at their schools;
• Committing $7 million to install a state of the art security camera system at 14 schools; and
• Maintaining Safe Passage funding at $10 million.

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