THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER PETER F. VALLONE JR.
For Immediate Release December 18, 2012
Contact: Michael Pantelidis
718-274-4500
917-881-8757
Council Member pushes legislation requiring the City to provide nonpublic schools with security
Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. is urging the City Council to pass legislation he introduced in 2010 that would provide nonpublic schools with security from the NYPD equal to that in public schools.
Vallone has been strongly pushing the bill during the past several months, and given the recent, tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, is once again calling on his colleagues to provide equal protection for all students in New York City. Council Member Fernando Cabrera has also been working with Vallone on this issue.
For a number of reasons, including a decrease in enrollment and increased costs, many nonpublic schools have been forced to make budget cuts, including in security – making help from the City all the more vital. Recently, the Archdiocese of New York announced that it may close another 27 schools.
Security services provided by the NYPD would include an assessment of the security needs of the school, placement of school safety officers and the use of video cameras or metal detectors, among others.
The City currently provides nurses for nonpublic schools, because health is deemed important, but Vallone believes school security is even more important.
“All our kids are created equal, so they all deserve to be provided equal protection in school,” said Council Member Vallone. “The City cannot ignore the safety of thousands of kids based solely on the type of school they attend.”
