The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has deployed a slate of resources to help ensure school safety at four L.A. campuses as part of its Neighborhood School Safety Program, a pilot project launched last week.

City Attorney Mike Feuer has launched a pilot program that aims to ensure that students have safe passageways while walking to and from school. Joseph Le Conte Middle School is among the pilot sites. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Joseph Le Conte Middle School in Hollywood was among the school sites selected. Officials will look to alleviate a variety of issues, such as truancy and gun violence in the neighborhood.

The city attorney’s office is also looking to help ensure that students have a safe passageway to school, protect the community and promote parent education and empowerment.

“Our goal with this program is to measurably improve the quality of life around our schools, and we expect to do just that,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “We will assess how effective we are as we go through this process and work with our parents to see how they and their kids feel about the progress we’re making.”

Barack Obama Global Preparatory Middle School, Vista Middle School and John H. Liechty Middle School were the other school sites included in the project. Feuer said the four sites were selected due to the “high level of quality of life crimes” — such as prostitution, vandalism and petty thefts — in each neighborhood.

He said school environments that are safe for children are a top priority, and that the office would be bringing “an arsenal” of resources to address the neighborhoods’ “most pressing problems.”

Through the pilot project’s Safe Passage Program, the office and a neighborhood nonprofit will enlist parent volunteers to “be a visible presence” along the most frequented routes students take to and from school each day, Feuer said. The office has created a survey map to determine the most common routes and nearby “criminal hotspots,” he said.

“Studies have shown that when kids walk to school without fear, they are more likely not to skip class,” Feuer said. “This program will give our kids a sense of security and will encourage them to go to school.”

The office will also work to prevent truancy by issuing educational letters, collaborating with community partners and attending parents meetings, community meetings and hearings, he said.

To further protect the community, the office has created a multi-agency School Toxics Taskforce to investigate potential environmental violations within one mile of the school campuses, Feuer said. During last week’s press conference at Vista Middle School, the city attorney mentioned two criminal cases his office has filed against polluters near the school.

Feuer said officials will also be working to prevent gun violence and keep tabs on parole violators. The office will work with the Los Angeles Police Department to determine whether individuals who are prohibited from owning or possessing guns have firearms or ammo in their homes, he said. A multi-agency task force will conduct compliance checks on probationers, parolees and sex offenders who live near campuses to ensure that they are not violating the law, Feuer said.

Furthermore, the city attorney is looking to empower parents to address safety issues near schools and educate communities on key issues affecting schools.

“The LAUSD and The Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) applaud city attorney Mike Feuer and his Neighborhood School Safety Program staff for providing resources and focus on safe passages and overall school safety,” LASPD deputy chief Jose Santome said. “The LAUSD and the LASPD remain committed partners with the office of the city attorney, the Los Angeles Police Department and other community stakeholders to ensure that school safety remains a top priority.”

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez, 6th District, also praised the project.

“As both a councilwoman and a mother, I am glad that we are working together with the community to protect our children,” she said. “If our kids aren’t safe, or if they are constantly bombarded with negative elements, how do we expect them to succeed in school and make good life choices that will improve their long term prospects?”

Feuer said he hopes the project will have a “significant and lasting positive impact” on the school sites selected. After consistent improvement is shown at each school and the Safe Passage Program is functioning reliably, the project may expand to more schools if additional funding becomes available, he said.

However, no additional funding was designated to the pilot project, and no additional staff members were hired, Feuer said.

“We are currently in the pilot stage, and we are periodically reviewing the program, assessing outcomes and making changes if necessary,” he added. “It is our hope and expectation that this pilot program will become a permanent one.”