Tomorrow: Major NYCLU, ACLU Announcement Regarding Police in New York City Schools

At a press conference tomorrow morning, the New York Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP will announce major news regarding police in New York City’s public schools. Joining the organizations will be youth from the Bronx and Brooklyn who were subjected to excessive force and illegal arrests in local public schools.

There are more than 5,200 NYPD personnel assigned exclusively to New York City’s schools. This massive presence makes the NYPD’s School Safety Division the nation’s fifth largest police force – larger than police forces in Washington D.C., Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego or Las Vegas. Dallas has 300,000 more residents than New York City has students, but it has only 3,500 police officers.

School safety officers wear NYPD uniforms and possess the authority to stop, frisk, question, search and arrest students. School administrators have no supervisory authority over the officers who patrol their schools.

What:
Press conference to make major announcement regarding the police presence in New York City’s public schools

When:
Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 10:30 a.m.

Where:
NYCLU/ACLU headquarters, 125 Broad St. in Manhattan

Who:

• New York Civil Liberties Union
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Dorsey & Whitney LLP
• Youth who were subjected to excessive force in public schools
• Youth who were subjected to illegal arrests in public schools