Increased safety concerns at Buford Middle School, from students behaving violently, and the school board beginning to address the matter led a reader to send me some data about crime rates there. Police incident reports for 2005 for both Buford and CHS (544k PDF), which are public data, indicate visits to CHS every couple of weeks, with incidents ranging from runaways to bomb threats, “suspicious circumstances” to traffic accidents. Buford received less frequent visits, but offenses include assaults, drug possession, robbery and “fires not arson.” I count twelve assaults (simple and intimidation) for the year at Buford but, having nothing to compare that to, I don’t know how that compares to the average for Buford or for comparable schools.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Does it seem like schools are becoming more dangerous, or am I just becoming an old curmudgeon? I didn’t go to the above mentioned schools, but back in my day (only 15 years ago) it seemed safer. I would be curious if there are any rational metrics by which to make a judgement.
I remember a bad period during my time at Monticello HS, 1998-2000. There were several incidents (fights, graffiti, etc.) fueled by racial tensions, and several bomb threats.
Around this time, I remember the air permeated for several weeks by a sort of tension, even when nothing was going on. Part of this was due to the violent deaths of two members of the student body, and this was around the time of major media attention about school violence following the Columbine HS shootings. Also, I wonder how much of it was simply a newly formed school being molded into its own unique social scene.
Charlottesville is not the only one with problems. I hear that 10 Albemarle High Students were caught boozing and smoking pot on a field trip to NYC last week. Some athletes and popular kids too. With proper chaperoning this should never have happenned.
I graduated 16 years ago in rural VA and I have to agree with you Duane. It seems like schools are getting more dangerous. We were given 2 personal days – given because so much of the community hunts. The hunters had their guns, bows and what have you in their cars on or near school property but they never thought of bring them in. IIRC, my sister even had to pass a gun safety course in 10th grade. (We moved there my senior year).
I had the same thought as Duane–have schools gotten rowdier? I was a timid little toe-the-line nerd when I was in high school, it’s true, but still I feel like my very large suburban high school was awfully tame. I don’t recall the cops coming nearly every day to investigate assaults, disorderly behavior, etc. Not that it was a Golden Age of good behavior, but it seems like things are different today. Duh. I’ve got two kids headed for county high schools in the middle-distant future….it makes me (nerd that I am) nervous.
My personal opinion on this.. is that I don’t think the schools have gotten rowdier. I think we pay more attention to violence in school, in part because we remember our own childhood experiences largely through the proverbial “rose colored glasses.”
I think what has changed, that makes us as a community pay more attention to school violence, is the manor and methods that students use to express violence has changed. Whereas we might remember fist fights (which now would make news as ‘a criminal assault in a school’) students have raised the bar (so to speak) bringing weapons into the equations.
To make a comparision… look at kid’s toys 2 decades ago and kid’s toys now. 2 decades ago they might’ve been less complicated, board games, action figures, etc. Now the toys have become more technologically sophisticated. My hypothesis is that in terms of school violence a similar evolution occured. Students became more ‘sophisticated’ in their expressions of violence and have done so in ways that force us to sit up and take notice.
So “are student’s more violent?” I say no. Are they expressing violence in more creative and dangerous ways- yes.
Back on Apr 13 2000 at the education forum at the Media Center at Charlottesville High School, the first words out of my mouth were “this is a violent school.” I wasn’t talking about smoking or boozing on a field trip, or even bullying or intimidation.
On yesterday’s WINA radio show, the host seemed able to believe schools are outright lying about SOL scores. But the pro-violence school policies seem inexplicable. Why should we keep violent predators in public school? Because of compulsory education?
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