District schools among state’s safest

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Parents can continue to breathe easy after the state on

Wednesday released a report that listed Costa Mesa and Newport Beach

campuses among the safest in California.

“I think we’re doing a good job -- the best job that we can,” said school

board president Dana Black.

The California Safe Schools Assessment program requires each school

district and county education department in the state to track and report

every crime on their campuses. The figures were compiled from the 1998-99

school year.

Although the numbers for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District

fluctuate each year, they are low compared to other districts.

With 20,716 students enrolled in Newport-Mesa schools in the 1998-99

school year, a total of 123 crimes were reported. Those crimes ranged in

severity from graffiti and vandalism to assault with a deadly weapon.

“Truthfully, the numbers are low for such a big school,” said Bob Boies,

principal at Newport Harbor High School. “We’re fortunate. The truth of

the matter is I think we just have really good kids.”

Overall, crimes against people increased on most campuses in the state,

while the number of thefts was down.

In Newport-Mesa, there were very few reported violent crimes, with seven

battery incidents, two assaults with deadly weapons, no robberies and one

sex offense.

However, the number of students caught on campus with a weapon increased

from seven the previous school year to 13 last year.

The number of Newport-Mesa drug and alcohol offenses rose slightly from

about 20 in the previous school year to 24 cases in 1998-99. Property

crimes dropped from 100 cases in 1997-98 to 76 last year. Property crimes

include vandalism, theft, burglary, graffiti and arson.

Boies also attributed the relatively low numbers to the district’s new

pilot program, which places a police officer on both Newport Beach high

school campuses.

“We’re doing a much better job of monitoring,” said Martha Fluor, a

school board member. “I think we’ll see a drop in children’s behavior in

terms of violent acts. After those incidents like Columbine, we’re taking

a real active stance on no weapons.”

School security guards have also undergone additional training, Fluor

said.

“I think we’re taking a proactive approach,” she added.