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                  Get to know your Business Agent today!  Find out how the union makes a difference on the job. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 4, 2004 Contact: Moronke Oshin 212-924-2000 ext. 501 212-741-8189 UNION LEADERS SAY MAYOR'S SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN LEAVES SCHOOL SAFETY AGENTS OUT IN THE COLD New York City -- Leaders of Teamsters Local 237, the union that represents School Safety Agents in city public schools, charged today that the Mayor's new plan for school safety does not address all the issues and will create more problems than it solves. Teamsters Local 237 President Carl Haynes called the Mayor's plan, which includes redeploying School Safety Agents to targeted problem schools, "a good first step in addressing the crisis of violence in our City's schools," but insisted that the plan "will destabilize and expose those schools that will lose Agents to the problem schools." Gregory Floyd, Local 237's director of the Citywide Division, said at a news conference in front of the Education Department today: "For schools to be safer, any new school safety plan must provide School Safety Agents with the training and tools they need to better handle the challenges they face as they confront a more violent and gang-oriented school environment. More of our Agents are getting hurt on the job because they are not outfitted with puncture-proof vests and working radios so they can summon help and backup quickly. " Floyd added that taking Agents from one school and putting them into another does not fix the problem. "This will only lead to a staffing shortage and create other problems all around, especially since about 30-40 Agents resign every month because of low pay and poor working conditions." School Safety Agents are Peace Officers, trained and certified by the Police Department. They have the power to make arrests, carry out searches, take custody of firearms and diffuse volatile situations in schools. However, unlike New York City Police Officers, School Safety Agents do not get line of duty pay when they are injured on the job, so many are forced to return to work in less than fit condition. Also, they earn a maximum salary of $29,000 regardless of years of service. "To be effective, the Mayor's plan must address an array of issues, including the exposed exit and entrances in schools. We all agree it is not practical to station an Agent at every door in every school, yet students and intruders are frequently able to sneak weapons through those unlocked and unguarded doors. A simple solution is installing cameras to monitor these areas." The union leader also said the city's 4000-plus School Safety Agents are often left to their own devices when dealing with unruly students because there is little communication going on between school administrators and the NYPD. "Numerous School Safety Agents have told us that they have been instructed not to file an incident report by a supervisor who was afraid that another violent incident might reflect poorly on the school. This problem is exacerbated by a chain of command that can be unclear and leaves the Agent in the awkward position of deciding whether he or she must answer to the school or the Police Department," Floyd said. Hundreds of School Safety Agents are planning to stage a rally outside the Education Department at 4 p.m. on January 8, 2004, to protest Mayor Bloomberg's inadequate response to school safety. |
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