By Lance McGhee
Mumford High School Student Assaulted by Newly Privatized Security
As part of his fiscal 2009-2010 budget, Emergency Finance Manager Robert C. Bobb has contracted the global private security firm Securitas Security Services USA, an American subsidiary of the Swedish company Securitas, to exclusively secure four of the districts most troubled high schools. Those schools are Mumford, Pershing, Denby and Southeastern.
Securitas private security replaced DPS security officers who were removed from the four schools. The Securitas hourly guards undergo only 49 hours of training prior to working in the schools, have no arrest powers, and are not qualified to carry weapons.
In a story printed Feb.11, written by Taylor Trammell of Mumford High, Geraldine Ramsey, supervisor of the Securitas Team at Mumford said, “We don’t carry guns… We are not even allowed to carry Mace.”
However, on Jan. 22, documents forfeited by anonymous sources within the public safety department revealed that at approximately 8:45 a.m., a 16-year-old African-American male student was sprayed with copious amounts of Mace, a brand of pepper spray, by a Securitas security officer while inside of Mumford High School.
Tremayne Johnson, a transfer student from Lake Crystal, Minnesota, is brand new to the DPS system. On Jan. 22, Johnson says that Securitas Officer Carroll, a Caucasian, assaulted him while using racial slurs.
“I was walking down the hallway on the second floor, on my way to class, and a security officer asked me to take off my sweatshirt,” Johnson explains. “I didn’t have the hood up, I just had it on so I said no because the building is cold,” Johnson said.
The Mumford High School building is a dilapidated structure with old appurtenances. In a community meeting given by Mumford Principal Anthony Houston on Feb. 25, he himself admitted that Mumford has “extensive” heating, electrical, and security problems.
“All of that stuff is basically failing right now,” Houston said. This corroborates Johnson’s claim that the building might have been cold.
After refusing to remove his sweatshirt, Johnson states that Officer Carroll asked for his school identification card. According to Johnson, his I.D. was attached to a lanyard that his house keys were also on.
Johnson said he showed Carroll his I.D. and Carroll attempted to take it along with the keys. “I couldn’t let him have my house key,” Johnson explained. “When I went to take it back, he Maced me,” Johnson said.
“I was sitting in the security offices for two hours handcuffed to a chair and was not released until about 15 minutes before my mom got there,” Johnson explains. “They [security] did not let me rinse my eyes out…I was given a wet paper towel that I used to pat my face with one hand,” Johnson said.
Emergency Medical Support was summoned to the school after the assault.
Ladonna Knight, a junior was in the hallway during the attacked. “He sprayed so much mace that everyone in the hallways started gagging, including me,” she said.
Neither the students nor the staff on the second floor was evacuated from the building after the spray was dispersed.
According to reports, there were 32 other Mumford students affected from the pepper-spray. Among them Stephanie Hill, Porsha Bowen, and Joshua Johnson, were taken to Sinai-Grace Hospital for their injuries.
Johnson said he was the last person to be treated by EMS.
Tamiko Johnson, mother of Tremayne Johnson said that she was not notified about the assault on her son until 10:30 a.m., two hours after the incident. She indicated that she was promised a copy of the incident report by the school and to date, has not received one.
Principal Houston suggested that the reason for the aggressive behavior towards students is that the new security team does not know the students on a personal level.
When asked what changes could be implemented to prevent attacks like the one against Johnson from occurring, Houston replied, “It will take time for the new security team to get to know the students… It usually takes about six months.”
Houston gave new answer as to remedies that could be implemented in the immediate future to ameliorate the problem with assaults.
Security officers stated that staff, security, and some parents do not endure the same security checks as the students, thus increasing threats to the students as well as the staff.
This is ironic considering that the district currently has in place camera systems within the halls of Mumford High School which are supposed to send real-time visual coverage of happenings within the school to the public safety headquarters. As to how such gross security breaches are allowed to persist with such an elaborate system is a mystery.
In addition, Houston stated that staff and administrators can only make suggestions to Inspector General John Bell, who is responsible for insuring efficiency in the operations of Detroit Public Schools.
Inspector Bell was contacted for this story. He did not respond.
Roderick Grimes is the Chief of Public Safety for DPS. According to the incident report he was made aware of the assault. Veteran DPS security officers criticized Chief Grimes by arguing that the Chief should have immediately had Carroll arrested for assault.
Chief Grimes was contacted for this story. He did not respond.
Tremayne Johnson has since been placed in a different school by his mother as she fears future attacks on her son.
Ms. Johnson has secured legal counsel and is currently pursuing charges against the district for civil rights violations perpetrated against her son.
Steve Wasko is the Executive Director of Public Relations for DPS. He was contacted for this story but did not respond.
Carroll has been fired since the incident according to Principal Houston.
Sources within the DPS public safety revealed that a similar incident involving pepper-spray occurred at Frederick Douglas High School in January.
In the Frederick Douglas incident, an off-duty DPS security officer hired to supervise the Securitas team, used pepper-spray in an enclosed space on students during a school function gone awry.
Though unwilling to go on record out of fear of retribution by the district, several DPS security officers revealed that the district gave handguns and mace to 25 security officers working within DPS schools in December 2009 who were not qualified to have them.
Most lacked Concealed Pistol Licenses and some had questionable backgrounds according to the officers. The district took the weapons back and provided proper training in January for the officers after the Frederick Douglas incident sources said.
There have been numerous cases of assaults by security whispered amongst students and concerned DPS employees in various high schools within Detroit.
It is likely that the district will incur more lawsuits as assaults on children by security continue to persist.
If you have any questions regarding this story, feel free to contact me at lmcgheeii@aol.com. Or call me at 313-799-1886.
DetroitUncovered
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Bobb Unveils Plan For Detroit Public School Version 2.0
Lance McGhee
Journalism Student
Emergency Finance Director Robert C. Bobb has seemingly developed a penchant for igniting both support and opposition for his initiatives relative to creating improved educational standards and solvency for the beleaguered Detroit Public School district. Such was the case during Bobb’s Mar. 15 address at Renaissance High School on Detroit’s Westside; where he chronicled a synopsis of the progress that he and his transition team have achieved to date.
He also presented a very ambitious blueprint for the future of DPS which he dubbed in his speech as Detroit Public Schools version 2.0.
Roughly 30 minutes prior to the event, approximately 30 to 40 protestors, consisting primarily of community activists and DPS bus drivers, paced the walkway with picket signs in their hands while shouting “no justice, no peace” and “no take-over” just outside the main entrance of the school. The DPS bus drivers are a part of yet another group of district employees recently targeted for privatization by Bobb under his managed competition plan; where employees are forced to compete with contractors for jobs they currently hold.
The protestors made their way inside the Renaissance High vestibule before being disbanded and removed by campus police and Detroit Police officers.
The event was not open to the public and did require a ticket. Some concerned members of the public who came to the school expecting to hear the meeting regarding DPS were turned away by campus police. This drew condemnation by some people who questioned why Bobb would have a meeting regarding the status of DPS at a public high school and not allow all concerned members of the public who were in attendance admission.
The auditorium which holds approximately 600 seats was filled to capacity. In attendance were such dignitaries as DPS Inspector General John Bell, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Detroit branch President Reverend Wendell Anthony, and school board President Keith Johnson, to name a few.
In his speech, Bobb described his new academic plan as a key element of the five major products he and his team intend to leave behind upon completion of his duties Mar. 2011. Those products include:
1.
A master education plan for 21st century teaching and learning.
A master education plan for 21st century teaching and learning.2.A plan for safe and secure learning environments.
A plan for safe and secure learning environments.3.A plan for procuring future facilities.
A plan for procuring future facilities.4.A plan for community and parental engagement.
A plan for community and parental engagement.5.A long-term financial sustainability plan.
A long-term financial sustainability plan.“We now need rocket boosters behind us to turn around Detroit Public School,” Bobb declared.
During his speech, Bobb praised the Excellent Schools Detroit coalition; a 15 member committee recently created pledging to institute a city-wide accountability standard which would hold all schools, public, private and charter, that operate within the city, liable for failing to achieve the newly implemented objectives set forth in Bobbs Academic Plan.
The members include:
•Dave Bing, Detroit Mayor
Dave Bing, Detroit Mayor •Ralph Bland, CEO of New Paridigm for Education and superintendant of Detroit Edison Public School
Ralph Bland, CEO of New Paridigm for Education and superintendant of Detroit Edison Public School•Robert C. Bobb, DPS Emergency Finance Director
Robert C. Bobb, DPS Emergency Finance Director•Michael Brennan, CEO United Way of Southeastern Michigan
Michael Brennan, CEO United Way of Southeastern Michigan•Sharlonda Buckman, executive director Detroit Parent Network
Sharlonda Buckman, executive director Detroit Parent Network•C. David Campbell, president of the Mcgregor Fund
C. David Campbell, president of the Mcgregor Fund•Clarke Durant, founding chair of Cornerstone Schools
Clarke Durant, founding chair of Cornerstone Schools•Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc.
Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc.•Carol Goss, CEO of the Skillman Foundation
Carol Goss, CEO of the Skillman Foundation•Greg Handel, senior director for the Detroit Regional Chamber
Greg Handel, senior director for the Detroit Regional Chamber•Rip Rapson, president of the Kresge Foundation
Rip Rapson, president of the Kresge Foundation•Sterling Speirn, CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Sterling Speirn, CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation•Shirley Stancato, CEO of New Detroit Inc.
Shirley Stancato, CEO of New Detroit Inc.•Doug Ross, CEO New Urban Learning
Doug Ross, CEO New Urban Learning•Dan Varner, Think Detroit PAL
Dan Varner, Think Detroit PALHere are the achievements Bobb has credited his team with to date. While the figures are staggering please pay attention to lines 2 and 25. The information may be surprising;
1.Conducted over 200 financial and operational audits of DPS.
Conducted over 200 financial and operational audits of DPS.2.Mar.09’ recalculated the budget formerly approved by the board of education which originally showed a $1.8 million surplus and exposed a $305.8 million cumulative deficit.
Mar.09’ recalculated the budget formerly approved by the board of education which originally showed a $1.8 million surplus and exposed a $305.8 million cumulative deficit.3.In May 09’ secured $167.6 million in financing to make payroll
In May 09’ secured $167.6 million in financing to make payroll4.Eliminated $271.6 million in the 2010 budget request over the projected revenues
Eliminated $271.6 million in the 2010 budget request over the projected revenues5.Implemented improvements to internal controls, policy and procedures addressing employee time and efforts.
Implemented improvements to internal controls, policy and procedures addressing employee time and efforts.6.Allotted $30.5 million for the Emergency Student Acheivement Summer-School Academy where thirty-five percent of DPS students participated for free, allowing 370 students to graduate last summer.
Allotted $30.5 million for the Emergency Student Acheivement Summer-School Academy where thirty-five percent of DPS students participated for free, allowing 370 students to graduate last summer.7.Will be providing free summer school this year.
Will be providing free summer school this year.8.Received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to carry over $16 million in unused funds which would have otherwise been returned to the government for non-use.
Received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to carry over $16 million in unused funds which would have otherwise been returned to the government for non-use.9.Was granted permission by the Michigan Department of Education to distribute federal funds.
Was granted permission by the Michigan Department of Education to distribute federal funds.10.Closed 29 schools saving the district $14 million annually.
Closed 29 schools saving the district $14 million annually.11.Laid-off 1,510 employees, saving the district $118 million.
Laid-off 1,510 employees, saving the district $118 million.12.Generated $4 million from the sale of eleven vacant school properties.
Generated $4 million from the sale of eleven vacant school properties.13.Reconciled leases that were in arrearages and brought them current. Now receiving $1.4 million in lease income.
Reconciled leases that were in arrearages and brought them current. Now receiving $1.4 million in lease income.14.Eliminated 2,800 illegal ineligible dependents from the districts health care benefit plan saving $9.7 million.
Eliminated 2,800 illegal ineligible dependents from the districts health care benefit plan saving $9.7 million.15.Discovered over-billing by Blue Cross Blue Shield, saving the district $6 million.
Discovered over-billing by Blue Cross Blue Shield, saving the district $6 million.16.The “I’m In” marketing campaign generated $6.2 million into the budget.
The “I’m In” marketing campaign generated $6.2 million into the budget.17.Entered into a settlement agreement with the Detroit Federation of Teachers saving the district $118.1 million over three years.
Entered into a settlement agreement with the Detroit Federation of Teachers saving the district $118.1 million over three years. 18.Restructured health care cost, making district employees responsible for higher co-pays saving the district $45 million.
Restructured health care cost, making district employees responsible for higher co-pays saving the district $45 million.19.Preserved $46 million in federal funds for the districts early childhood development.
Preserved $46 million in federal funds for the districts early childhood development.20.Renegotiated the national gas contracts saving the district $3.4 million.
Renegotiated the national gas contracts saving the district $3.4 million.21.Discovered $216,000 in overbilling by the water department.
Discovered $216,000 in overbilling by the water department.22.Conducting forensic audits on all energy and telecommunication contracts.
Conducting forensic audits on all energy and telecommunication contracts.23.Instrumental in getting Proposal S. approved by voters which resulted in $500.5 million in federal stimulus dollars, the sixth largest allocation of funds in the country.
Instrumental in getting Proposal S. approved by voters which resulted in $500.5 million in federal stimulus dollars, the sixth largest allocation of funds in the country.24.Sold $290 million in bonds.
Sold $290 million in bonds.25.By the end of the year, the district will have a cumulative overall deficit of $316 million.
By the end of the year, the district will have a cumulative overall deficit of $316 million.By his own admission, Bobb indicates that despite all of his efforts over this past year, the district will find itself in even worse financial shape than it was prior to his arrival! After all of his cost-cutting measures, the district will be even deeper in debt by $10.2 million. Bobb states that he intends to institute additional cost-cutting measures to reduce the budget further throughout the year and the current deficit sum is due to a lack of stimulus dollars.
Here is a list of Bobb’s aspiration for DPS 2.0:
1.Expansion of art and music programs.
Expansion of art and music programs.2. Marketplace of schools, designed to serve a multitude of student interest, such as a choir school or a school of medicine and science.
Marketplace of schools, designed to serve a multitude of student interest, such as a choir school or a school of medicine and science.3.Increase in the graduation rate from 58 percent to 98 percent over five years.
Increase in the graduation rate from 58 percent to 98 percent over five years.4.Increase in MEAP Mathematic scores in grades 3-8 from 62 percent to 100 percent.
Increase in MEAP Mathematic scores in grades 3-8 from 62 percent to 100 percent.5.Increase in overall MME Mathematics from the current 49 percent to 100 percent over five years.
Increase in overall MME Mathematics from the current 49 percent to 100 percent over five years.6.Increase in MEAP Reading scores for grades 3-8 from the current 69 percent to 100 percent.
Increase in MEAP Reading scores for grades 3-8 from the current 69 percent to 100 percent.7.Increase in MME reading from the current 60 percent to 100 percent over five years.
Increase in MME reading from the current 60 percent to 100 percent over five years.8.Increase in applications to post-secondary institutions from 49 percent to 100 percent over five years.
Increase in applications to post-secondary institutions from 49 percent to 100 percent over five years.9.Increase in acceptance to post-secondary institutions from 35 percent to 100 percent over five years.
Increase in acceptance to post-secondary institutions from 35 percent to 100 percent over five years.10.Increase in schools meeting yearly adequate progress from 31 percent to 100 percent by 2015.
Increase in schools meeting yearly adequate progress from 31 percent to 100 percent by 2015.11.Promised to give principals more autonomy over all aspects of their schools except hiring, which will be done solely by Bobb and his team.
Promised to give principals more autonomy over all aspects of their schools except hiring, which will be done solely by Bobb and his team.12.Will create a principal academy and a parent university, creating more leaders and better informed parents.
Will create a principal academy and a parent university, creating more leaders and better informed parents.13.Will not surplus 440 teachers to meet further deficits.
Will not surplus 440 teachers to meet further deficits.Here is what some may consider to be the cost of these aspirations:
1.Will close an additional 45 schools yet to be announced.
Will close an additional 45 schools yet to be announced.2.Unionized teachers will have conceded $86.9 million by next year’s end.
Unionized teachers will have conceded $86.9 million by next year’s end.3.Will seek to further restructure health care, ultimately resulting in higher premium and co-pays.
Will seek to further restructure health care, ultimately resulting in higher premium and co-pays.4.Will seek reimbursement from all employees found to be supporting ineligible dependents.
Will seek reimbursement from all employees found to be supporting ineligible dependents.5.Projected reduction in student enrollment from 85,000 currently to 56,000 in 2015, despite his efforts.
Projected reduction in student enrollment from 85,000 currently to 56,000 in 2015, despite his efforts.6.Will institute further privatization of DPS jobs.
Will institute further privatization of DPS jobs.With all of the startling statistics, the future of DPS seems to be as precarious as it ever was. And though Bobb admitted that the “boo-birds” will always inject their negativity into the mix, the fact remains that the embattled district has a most prodigious task ahead.
