Superintendent Jara and CCSD Police discuss school safety with lawmakers

Posted at 10:58h in Clark County School District, Employees, Parents, Press Release, Students by Bryan C

Clark County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara and CCSD Police Department Chief Mike Blackeye made a presentation at a joint meeting of the Nevada Senate Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Judiciary.

“Keeping our students and school campuses safe is a community issue. “Students are only on school campuses for a short period of time each day for five days a week, said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara.  “Many issues that play out on our campuses begin in our neighborhoods. We are arresting adults on our campuses, adults who are coming onto our campuses and negatively engaging with our students. We rely on our entire community to ensure that students can attend school and receive an education in a healthy environment.” 

During the presentation, Chief Blackeye provided elected officials with information on CCSD PD’s policies related to interactions with juveniles. The chief also noted that while the majority of the interactions are with juveniles, a number of interactions involve adults creating disturbances on the CCSD campuses.

School Justice Partnership

State senators were provided with a history of the School Justice Partnership (SJP). The SJP was established in 2018 through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with several community groups, including the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services.

During the 2021-22 school year, CCSD PD reported approximately 2,700 alternatives to arrest through the SJP. Currently, CCSD PD has approximately 2,100 alternatives to arrest in the 2022-23 school year. 

Use of Force Incidents

Chief Blackeye provided senators with data on the use of force dating back to the 2019-2020 school year, noting the 2020-2021 data was not representative due to the COVID-19 in-person restrictions and distance learning.

2019-2020 – 58 Use of Force incidents

  • 30 Oleoresin capsicum (OC) deployments
  • 6 Taser deployments
  • 22 Open hand

2021-2022 – 90 Use of Force incidents

  • 52 Oleoresin capsicum (OC) deployments
  • 4 Taser deployments
  • 34 Open hand

2022-2023 – 38 Use of Force incidents

  • 8 Oleoresin capsicum (OC) deployments
  • 2 Taser deployments
  • 28 Open hand

CCSD Police Training

CCSD Police Department training records are audited by Nevada Peace Officers Standards and Training (NV POST). On average, each officer receives over 40 hours of continuing education training each year. Training is in compliance with NRS 289.510. All new officers receive at least 4 weeks of Department orientation training followed by 14 weeks of Field Training.

Additional training includes:

  • De-escalation
  • Crisis intervention 
  • Implicit bias
  • Racial profiling
  • Restorative justice
  • Interacting with individuals experiencing mental health issues

Further Review

As stated on February 13th, CCSD Police are in the process of conducting a review of its use of force policy to ensure that the policy is reflective of the values of the District. 

A diverse committee representing the distinct population of Clark County will work with school police to better understand the needs of the community while working to continue keeping students and staff safe. The primary goal of the committee will be to find ways to solve matters collectively while also providing committee members with a better understanding of the inner workings of CCSDPD.