Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson is taking a proactive approach to stopping crime with his office’s School Advocacy Bureau.
As students head back to class this month, school safety is high on the minds of parents, teachers and school administrators around the borough. Schools are venues for bullying, gang activity and other crimes. To address these dangers and make schools safer, all involved need the proper tools and resources, Thompson said in a release highlighting some of his office’s initiatives.
The only DA bureau of its kind in New York City, the SAB employs a team of attorneys who offer workshops and training for students, parents, school administrators and school-based law enforcement officers.
The crime prevention workshops is offered for students in the 7th through 12th grades. Thompson’s staff meet with students in a classroom setting to discuss topics including peer pressure, anti-bullying and making wise choices. The bureau also offers gang prevention workshops in conjunction with law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, SAB staff participate in career days, law days and law week programs and judge various mock trial competitions throughout Brooklyn to encourage students to think about legal and law enforcement careers, and to learn more about the judicial process.
The bureau also offers several trainings for parents and school staff to help them identify and address signs of criminal activity. Trainings include:
- Awareness workshops for parents and administrators to help them identify common potentially dangerous or criminal behaviors, including sexting, gang activity and human trafficking. These workshops are held in conjunction with other Brooklyn DA units and bureaus.
- Training for NYPD uniformed task force bureau and school safety agents on creating a safe environment and proper arrest protocol in handling the young school community. Educating NYPD officers within the schools is essential in not only creating a safe educational environment but in helping to foster the relationship between students and police officers and to make sure that all proper and legal protocols are followed when a crime has occurred.
- Training for school administrators in handling preliminary investigation of criminal activity in the school before law enforcement gets involved, to ensure effective prosecution in the event of an arrest.
