New policy proposed for school-police relations

Princeton school board to consider changes in wake of arrest of four students in September

By: Jake Uitti
   In reaction to concerns raised by Princeton Regional Board of Education members and residents regarding the memorandum of agreement between Princeton Regional Schools, local police departments and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, a special ad hoc committee has drafted a 15-page policy document to supplement the memorandum of agreement.
   The document was unveiled at Tuesday’s board meeting, giving members their first opportunity to look it over and discuss it.
   The document attempts to spell out efforts that are to be made by the schools and law enforcement officers in the event of a criminal incident — in or outside of the schools — so that the interests and rights of students are protected while still serving the "legitimate needs of law enforcement."
   Board member Walter Bliss said there is a major distinction between incidents that happen in the schools and outside the schools. If an incident happens outside of the schools, he said, the schools should not let police officers come in and take students out for interrogation.
   "Children have Fifth Amendment rights just like anybody else, and those are meaningless if the police can pick up a child at school and literally whisk the child away for interrogation at the police department," Mr. Bliss said.
   He added that the police should have a warrant every time they intend to take a child from school.
   "Warrantless arrests are the principal problem," he said. "There are options available to the police that are far less shocking to the system than warrantless arrests at the schoolhouse door."
   The memorandum of agreement itself covers all interaction between the police and the schools. The agreement, in its protocols for law enforcement, stresses safety and rights of police security over sanctuary of students, Superintendent Judy Wilson noted — thus the need for the 15-page supplement.
   The memorandum of agreement is a standardized document mandated by the state and prepared by the Attorney General’s Office.
   The 15-page supplement is meant to eliminate ambiguities in the memorandum of agreement. Whether it satisfies all board members and the public, however, remains to be seen.
   After a September incident, during which Princeton Borough police officers arrested four Princeton High School students who allegedly witnessed crimes that occurred in the borough, some Princeton residents expressed concerns that the incident was not handled well — claiming that the civil rights of the students were abused.
   The four students — two 15 and two 14— were taken from their high school classes to the borough’s police headquarters, where they were held, questioned and charged with complicity to robbery.
   The students’ parents filed civil rights complaints against the borough.
   In October, those complaints were dismissed by the joint Human Services Commission, which concluded that the police did not violate procedure — a procedure spelled out in the memorandum of agreement.
   Also in October, the school board, in a 4-4 vote with one abstention, declined to approve the memorandum of agreement and formed the ad hoc committee, headed by board member Alan Hegedus, to review the agreement.
   Although the Human Services Commission found no violation of the students’ civil rights, many parents and board members said that school should be a place of sanctuary for students, not a place where the police are let in whenever they want to find a student.
   The 15-page document attempts to address this concern, Mr. Hegedus said.
   "We’re moving in the direction that gives us all — parents, students, the school board — more latitude and visibility to the proper handling to these myriad difficult circumstances," he said.
   Mr. Bliss emphasized the importance of placing the police and the schools on equal footing.
   "There has to be a reasonable conversation between the police department and the schools that does not begin with the police having the final say," he said, "but one where it is two equals with ideas that have to be reconciled with parent and student rights."
   He said there was language in the agreement that could be strengthened to better protect students’ rights.
   Board member Jeffrey Spear agreed, saying trust among students and their community and schools is paramount.
   Board member Joshua Leinsdorf, who has never voted for the memorandum of agreement, said it compromises teachers.
   "The school board has to stand up for education and not get involved with law enforcement if it compromises the confidentiality between students and teachers," he said.
   Princeton resident Robert Karp told the board he feels black children in town and elsewhere are closely monitored, something white residents do not often notice or feel.
   "If you’re a black kid, you get caught, you get watched, then you get caught up in the criminal justice system," he said.
   Mr. Karp added that police officers should be taught how to be "community policemen."
   Princeton resident Ron Plummer urged the board to gather community input regarding security issues.
   "The actions taken in the most recent incident failed the students," Mr. Plummer said, adding that there has been a "breakdown of communication" between the community, the school system and the police.
   He added that a list of guidelines should be drafted for families and teachers on how students should be protected within schools.
   It is anticipated that the supplementary policy document will soon be made available on the district’s Web site.
   The board will continue to discuss the matter at its January meeting.