REPORT SHOWS SCHOOL CRIME UP STATEWIDE LAUSD DRUG USE FALLS 24%.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

Crimes on school campuses in Los Angeles and throughout California rose last year although the number of substance abuse cases dropped locally, bucking the statewide trend, a report released Thursday shows.

The annual California Safe Schools Assessment, released by the California Department of Education, showed that drug and alcohol offenses statewide increased 32 percent, crimes against people jumped 16 percent and property crimes went up by 1 percent.

This compares with a 24 percent decrease in drug and alcohol offenses and a 0.7 percent drop in property crimes in the Los Angeles Unified School District. However, battery - crimes against people - rose 6.5 percent.

District officials said low self-esteem and social isolation among students is the primary cause of the crime increase, and said schools, parents and the community must unite to solve the problem.

``If you look at youngsters who commit violent crimes on campus, isolation is the key component with all of them,'' said Willie Crittendon, administrator of school operations and safety for Los Angeles Unified.

``Violence is not just a school problem, it's a home problem and it's a community problem. We've made an attempt in our safe schools planning process to establish connections between the student, the parents and the community.''

No homicides were reported last year, compared with three in 1999-2000, and the number of weapons offenses fell more than 25 percent, from 510 in 1999-2000 to 379 last year. However, the number of battery offenses in LAUSD increased to 977 from 858 the previous year, the report said.

Crittendon credited the decrease in drug and alcohol offenses to undercover drug buy operations launched by the Los Angeles Police Department. Similarly, the district's ``zero tolerance'' policy mandating expulsion for students caught with weapons on campus was credited for the decline in possession.

And in July, he added, the school district will implement an anti-bullying policy aimed at decreasing the incidents of battery.

``With bullying, it's not enough to punish the bullier,'' he said. ``Bullies are really reaching out, and they need guidance from our mental health professionals and counselors.''

Charles Weis, superintendent of the Ventura County School District - where every crime except property crimes and sex offenses increased last year - said he was particularly disappointed with the increase in substance abuse on his campuses.

``Alcohol and drug abuse and battery are symbols of kids not feeling good about themselves, and we really do need to find some new ways of communicating with young people at home and at school,'' Weis said. ``The rise in substance abuse is especially disappointing, and I don't think our prevention programs are as effective as they need to be.''

Because teens feel they are indestructible, Weis said, programs that focus on the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse - such as car accidents and illness - have been ineffective.

``We need to go to our students and ask them what would help them to not use drugs and alcohol,'' said Weis, adding that one of his staff members is charged with discussing that issue with students. ``The accessibility of alcohol in the home and the modeling of alcohol abuse by adults is also sending a powerful message to our young people.''

State officials say one reason for the increase in batteries on campus is the heightened importance placed on recording such crimes among local school districts.

Because school officials are focusing on bullying and threatening behavior on campus, they are reporting it more frequently, said Jean Scott, education programs consultant for the state Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office.

Scott added that effective school-based crime prevention programs all deal with the students' home life, school life and personal life.

``All of these risk behaviors are associated with students not feeling connected at home and at school,'' she said. ``Studies of programs that prevent school crime, like conflict resolution and peer mediation, show that the more effective ones make kids feel there is someone at the school who cares about them.''

Glendale school officials said the increase in incidents of battery in their district was primarily the result of increased reporting.

Unlike other districts in the area, the Glendale school district saw a decrease in most serious crimes on campus, except battery and robbery.

``Since the Columbine massacre, we're all taking bullying and threats much more seriously,'' said Hank Paz, coordinator of attendance and welfare for the Glendale Unified School District.

In the Burbank Unified School District, officials frequently refer students and parents to local family service agencies for counseling, said Hank Jannace, director of pupil services for the district. The agencies that work with the school district offer the services at a sliding-scale rate, depending upon the parents' income level, he said.

While Jannace said the increase in the number of batteries in his school district was primarily the result of increased reporting, he acknowledged that the troubled students who commit violence on campus are often the most difficult to reach.

``We are seeking out these troubled kids and trying to get them involved, but a lot of them are so withdrawn they are hard to pull out of their shells,'' said Jannace. ``The schools, the parents and the communities can all finger point at each other, but the bottom line is these kids belong to all of us and it's everyone's responsibility to help them.''

CAPTION(S):

chart

Chart:

CAMPUS CRIME

Here are the numbers of incidents reported by local school districts during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 school years.

SOURCE: California Department of Education