New York City Police Department School Safety Division

History

The New York City Police Department School Safety Division was formed in 1998 when the School Safety force was transferred from the New York City Department of Education to the New York City Police Department. Since then, the School Safety force has expanded in duties and in number of officers. In 2006, NYPD School Safety Agents were classified Civil Service Status with the first DCAS Civil Service exam given on June 9, 2007.

Mission

The mission of the NYPD School Safety Division is to provide a safe environment, conducive to learning, where students and faculty can be free from hostility and disruptions which could negatively impact on the educational process.

Power and authority

School Safety Agents are designated as New York City special patrolman. School Safety Agents can make warrantless arrests, carry and use handcuffs, and use physical force.

Uniform and vehicles

School safety agents wear dark blue shirts similar to those worn by police officers. Their badge is oval with an eagle on top, in contrast to the shield worn by police officers. School Safety vehicles are either dark blue with white decals or white with light blue decals.

Rank structure and duties

There are ten different ranks within the New York City Police Department School Safety Division: Assistant Commissioner, School Safety

1. Assistant Commissioner : Assists in the implementation of all Division-wide programs, oversees all field operations and directly supervises and coordinates the activities of all operations.
2. Director of Administrative Operations: Assists in the implementation of Division-wide programs, oversees administrative operations, including budget, finance, personnel, equipment, etc., and directly supervises and coordinates the activities of the Deputy Director for Administrative Operations.
3. Deputy Director of Patrol Operations: There are three Deputy Directors, two deputies will oversee the operational activity for nine SSD Borough Commands: Brooklyn North; Brooklyn South; Queens North; Queens South; Staten Island; Manhattan South; Manhattan North; Bronx East; and Bronx West. One Deputy will oversee the operational activity of Support and Special Services; who will be responsible for the in-service training of all school safety agents, providing field resources to borough commands, and in conjunction with the NYPD Intelligence Division, conducting unannounced scanning at large-scale events. The two zone Deputy Directors answer to uniformed zone commanders in the rank of police inspector.
4. Deputy Director of Administrative Operations: There is one deputy Director who oversees the administrative operations of the payroll, employee benefits, personnel, grievances, performance evaluation, supplies, overtime and related areas.
5. Associate Supervisor of School Safety Level II (Borough Commanders): Plans, directs and supervises the entire operation of school security within an assigned geographic area: identifies training needs; assists in preparation of proposals; implements policies; allocates budget resources; initiates changes on a daily basis; meets with community superintendents, principals, community board officials, parent association, high-level police commanders and assistant district attorneys.
6. Associate Supervisor of School Safety: Responsible for the deployment, administration, evaluation and supervision of all members assigned to the command; maintains personnel records; deploys vehicles assigned to the office; serves as liaison between the division and all city agencies, parents associations, community school boards and civic groups in the development of security reform; handles all grievances and disciplinary actions involving personnel.
7. Supervisor of School Security: Meets and discusses issues and problems with subordinates and effectively communicates suggestions and conclusions in oral and written form. Oversees performance issues for all including attendance and lateness violations, and field inspections. Trains subordinates in procedure and disseminates policies to subordinates.
8. School Safety Agent III: Performs supervisory duties inside the schools; maintains work schedules; observes performance of subordinates; administers roll calls; monitors and responds to incidents; maintains full knowledge of school safety plans; documents and takes all corrective action necessary towards addressing emergency situations.
9. School Safety Agent II: Knowledgeable of arrest procedures and police forms, and is readily available for assignment changes. Quickly responds to emergency incidents within assigned borough. The job of School Safety Agent II is much like that of a police officer.
10. School Safety Agent I: Appears at specified time and location, is alert and prepared for post assignment; regulates flow of students at entrances and maintains order of school interior, checks outer perimeters for unauthorized persons; checks student ID, challenges visitors and adheres to visitor control procedures; immediately reports possible child abuse, drugs, alcohol, gang participation or psychological problems; uses minimal force necessary to effect arrest; interprets and reviews X-ray machine screens.

The NYPD has never specifically stepped forward and delineated where the civilian rank structure of the School Safety Division fits vis-a-vis the Department's uniformed rank structure. For instance, a "School Safety Agent III" wears the insignia of a uniformed sergeant, but is compensated at a rate roughly half that of a uniformed police officer. This runs throughout the entire rank structure.

Borough commands

The commands follow the Patrol Boroughs, but with one exception the Bronx is split. The Commands are Manhattan South, Manhattan North, Bronx East, Bronx West, Brooklyn South, Brooklyn North, Queens South, Queens North and Staten Island.

Training unit

The mission of the School Safety Training Unit (SSTU) is to provide entry-level School Safety Agents with a fundamental understanding of Department procedures, policies, and the limits of their authority. The basic course for Peace Officers without Firearms is a 17-week program geared to instructing School Safety Agents on the fundamentals of law enforcement. Topics include behavioral science, police science, law, powers of a peace officer, physical training and tactics, CPR, and first aid.

In 2004, SSTU conducted three entry-level courses for a total of 551 School Safety Agents. Assistance was also provided to the NYPD School Safety Division’s In-Service Training Unit. Another 1,107 Agents were trained during these sessions.

Also in 2004, continued emphasis was placed on counter terrorism training. School Safety Agents received instruction on current events and conditions that are directly related to terrorism. Other additions to the curriculum included the introduction of facilitated role-play exercises on bomb/explosive device recognition and gang-related incidents.

As of 2008, the School Safety academy has been moved to the police academy facility.

Task force

The School Safety Division maintains 10 task forces. There is one task force per borough command, and a citywide task force. The duties of the borough task force's are to patrol around schools in the borough to reduce crime and find students who are skipping school or class, provide assistance to school safety agents assigned to schools in the borough when they need additional manpower, assist with details at schools in the borough, and respond to emergencies at schools in the borough where additional manpower is needed. The duties of the citywide task force are to assist the borough task force's, patrol around high crime schools to reduce crime and find students who are skipping school or class, provide assistance to school safety agents assigned to schools when they need additional manpower, assist with details at schools, and respond to emergencies at schools where additional manpower is needed.

There are also two police task forces covering the schools. One covers Manhattan and The Bronx and the other covers Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Each of these task forces has roughly 90 police officers assigned.

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the New York City Police Department School Safety Division, two officers have died while on duty.