SCHOOL CRIMES LOWER BUT SEX OFFENSES UP, STUDY SHOWS.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Crime statistics released by the state Department of Education show the number of reported sexual offenses has risen in Santa Clarita Valley junior and senior high schools, while most other crimes - including drug and alcohol-related offenses - have dropped.

Ordered by state law, the fourth annual California Safe Schools Assessment report tracks school districts' annual crime statistics over the past four years, showing the number of incidents per 1,000 students, and breaks down each school district's 1998-1999 statistics by total offenses in each crime category.

Overall, local statistics showed a drastic departure from statewide trends at all school levels in 1998-1999.

Alcohol and drug-related offenses increased in high schools statewide last year and remained the most commonly committed crimes among teens. Statistics also show battery was the most common crime among junior and middle high students, while property crimes, such as theft, vandalism and arson, were most common in elementary schools throughout the state.

Locally, alcohol and drug-related offenses showed the most significant drop among the William S. Hart Union High School District's 15,000 students - from 9.16 incidents per 1,000 students in 1995-1996 to 6.44 in 1998-1999 - while the number of reported battery incidents increased at the elementary level, and property crimes remained more problematic for junior high schools.

In the Hart district, sex offenses increased from four in the 1997-1998 year to eight in 1998-1999.

The CSSA report defines sex offenses as sexual battery, rape, statutory rape, sodomy, lewd conduct with children, oral copulation and child molestation.

However, no sex offenses reported by the Hart district involved rape, said Michael Allmandinger, the district's administrator of student services.

``Most of the incidents we reported involved, for example, junior high school boys touching a girl's breast . . . Years ago, these types of incidents weren't reported as a sexual offense,'' Allmandinger said. He added: ``Still, that's eight too many of that type of incident.''

As for the decline in drug and alcohol-related offenses, Allmandinger credited district health education and intervention programs for the decline. Last year the district began bringing trained dogs on campus to search for drugs, he noted, for example.

Still, he said, there's room for improvement. Ninety-seven drug and alcohol-related incidents were reported in 1998-1999, according to CSSA statistics.

The CSSA report also shows local elementary schools - including Saugus Union, Castaic Union, Newhall Elementary, Sulphur Springs and Acton-Agua Dulce - between 1995 and 1999 reported decreases or continued low levels of criminal activity in most areas, but increases in incidents classified as battery.

But some argue that tougher reporting standards - not increased violence among children - are reflected by this year's statistics.

State Department of Education officials in their CSSA warn that tougher reporting guidelines implemented for 1998-1999 statistics resulted in some significant data fluctuations from previous yearly statistics.

For example, statistics provided by the Saugus Union Elementary School District - Santa Clarita Valley's largest grade K-6 district, with 8,529 students - show that the battery rate rose from zero in the 1995-1996 school year to 0.12 per 1,000 students in 1999.

School officials said the district had one reported battery in the 1998-1999 school year: a night custodian was assaulted last March by nonstudents. Its single report of an assault with a deadly weapon involved one parent claiming another parent drove too close in a parking lot, said Patty Conwell, director of student support.

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Chart: School District Crime Rates