Report: Campus violence increases

Tuesday, April 16, 2002 | 9:19 a.m.

Incidents of on-campus violence, drug use and weapon seizures at Clark County public schools have increased slightly in the past year, keeping pace with the burgeoning student enrollment, a new report shows.

The district's annual accountability report, which covers the 2000-2001 school year, also tallies standardized test results, attendance rates for both students and teachers, dropout and graduation figures and school spending.

Student enrollment climbed over 6 percent last year, from 217,139 to 231,125. While there were increases in everything from the number of weapons confiscated by school police to reports of drug use, the new figures do not outpace the enrollment growth, Clark County School District officials say.

There were 5,489 incidents of violence between students last year, according to the report. That's an increase of 355 from the 5,134 incidents reported in 1999-2000.

The majority of the incidents occurred at the middle school level, said Sgt. Ken Young, spokesman for school police.

"At that age, the kids are trying to establish their identities and find themselves," Young said. "Middle school can be a very trying time."

Most of the reported incidents ranged from shoving matches to a few thrown punches, Young said.

"We've had very few situations that would really qualify as brawls," Young said.

Violence by students against school staff also went up, from 227 in 1999-2000 to 289 last year.

Young said he saw the increase in drug and weapon seizures as a positive sign for the aggressive community-style policing practiced by campus cops. Student tips play a key role in enforcement, Young said.

There were 505 weapons confiscated from students last year, up from the 454 previously reported. Nearly 90 percent of the confiscated weapons were BB or pellet guns, Young said. Many of those weapons, which are required by law to be manufactured in bright orange, had been covered with black paint in order to look more realistic, Young said.

"It can be very difficult to tell the real thing from the toy," Young said.

There were 833 students disciplined for having controlled substances on campus, up from 693 the previous year. Marijuana was the most popular drug, Young said.