>>> THIS MORNING ON IN-DEPTH, IS IT THE FUTURE OF SCHOOL SAFETY?
SHEINELLE IS TAKING US INSIDE
ONE NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL
WHERE THE STUDENTS AND POLICE
OFFICERS SHARE A VERY SPECIAL
BOND.
BOND. >> YES, THIS IS ANOTHER PIECE IN
THE EDUCATION SERIES I’M WORKING
ON.
ON. I WAS REALLY STRUCK BY JUST HOW
MUCH THESE OFFICERS MEAN TO
THESE KIDS.
THESE KIDS. NOW THIS, ISN’T YOUR TYPICAL
SCHOOL SAFETY STORY BECAUSE OF
THE WAY THESE NYPD OFFICERS ARE
INTERACTING AND REALLY GETTING
TO KNOW THE STUDENTS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> Reporter: IN NEW YORK’S SOUTH
BRONX, NEARLY HALF OF ALL
FAMILIES LIVER AT OR BELOWLIVE A
THE POVERTY LINE.
>> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
THE POVERTY LINE.
>> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
THE POVERTY LINE.
>> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
POVERTY LINE.
POVERTY LINE. >> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
POVERTY LINE.
POVERTY LINE. >> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
POVERTY LINE.
POVERTY LINE. >> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
POVERTY LINE.
POVERTY LINE. >> I GREW UP IN A GOOD HOME.
>> Reporter: AND FOR SOME OF THE
CLASSMATES, JUST GOING TO SCHOOL
CAN BE TOUGH.
BUT NOW A NEW PILOT PROGRAM IS
WORKING TO CHANGE THAT.
FOR SOMEONE WHO SAYS WE’VE HAD
COPS AT OUR SCHOOLS FOR YEARS,
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS
PROGRAM?
PROGRAM? >> WELL, BEFORE THE COPS MIGHT
HAVE SAID HIGH BUT THEY DIDN’T
KNOW THE KIDS ON A PERSONAL
BASIS.
BASIS. WE’RE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, WE’RE
NURSES.
NURSES. WE’RE TEACHERS SOMETIMES.
WE DO MUCH MORE THAN WE EVER DID
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> Reporter: THEY ARE SCHOOL
COORDINATION AGENT, ONE OF 60
UNARMED OFFICERS IN 121
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOLS THAT ROLLED OUT THE
INITIATIVE LAST FALL.
A SHOW OF HAND, HOW MANY OF YOU
IF SOMETHING WERE REALLY UP AND
YOU NEEDED TO CONFIDE IN
SOMEBODY COULD YOU TRUST THOSE
OFFICERS?
OFFICERS? WHY DO YOU SAY ABSOLUTELY?
>> I SEE THEM AS FAMILY TO ME.
>> THEY TRY TO BUILD A BOND WITH
THE STUDENTS.
THE STUDENTS. >> WITH ANY SITUATION, THEY WILL
BE THERE RIGHT AWAY.
BUT OUTSIDE WITH THE REGULAR
POLICE, IT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE
WE LOOK AT THEM AS IF THEY ARE
AGAINST US.
AGAINST US. >> Reporter: ISAIAH SAYS THERE
WAS ONE INCIDENT IN PARTICULAR
WHERE JACKSON AND RAMIREZ
CHANGED HIS LIFE.
>> A COUPLE DAYS FOR ASSAULT.
NEXT DAY I CAME BACK TO SCHOOL
WITH TWO KNIVES.
>> Reporter: HE WAS SO MAD BUT
TOLD ME HE CONFIDED IN ONE OF
THE OFFICERS.
THE OFFICERS. >> THEY CHANGED MY MINDSET, THEY
SUPPORT ME 100% AND I’M TRYING
TO MY BEST RIGHT NOW, JUST
TRYING.
TRYING. >> Reporter: HOW DO YOU GET TO
THE POINT WHERE A STUDENT TRUSTS
YOU ENOUGH TO TELL YOU THAT
THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?
>> BY TALKING TO THEM.
WHAT’S UP?
WHAT’S UP? WITH
WITH WE SMILE AND LET THEM KNOW WE’RE
PEOPLE TOO, DON’T LET THE
UNIFORM FOOL YOU.
WE’RE PEOPLE.
WE’RE PEOPLE. WE HAVE BAD DAYS AS WELL JUST
LIKE YOU DO, BUT WE’RE HERE TO
HELP.
HELP. HOW IS GRANDMA?
>> Reporter: HAVE YOU NOTICED A
DIFFERENCE?
DIFFERENCE? >> YES.
>> YES. THEY REALIZE THEY CAN COME TO US
AND WE’LL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU
NEED TO GO.
>> Reporter: ANNETTE FLORHAS BEE
PRINCIPAL FOR THE LAST DECADE.
>> SOME SCHOOLS THEY ARE ARMED.
YOU DON’T SEE THAT IN THIS
SCHOOL AND ALL THE KIDS TELL ME
THEY FEEL SAFE.
IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE IN THE BUILDING.
THEY ENGAGE WITH THE KIDS, WITH
THE PARENTS AND THEY ARE HERE TO
REALLY SUPPORT STUDENTS.
>> WE’RE ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE.
WE USE OUR MOUTH, OUR BRAIN, OUR
EYES, OUR EARS.
WE USE EVERY TOOL THAT WE HAVE
WITHOUT USING A WEAPON.
AND IT WORKS.
>> Reporter: IT SEEMS TO ME THAT
YOU GUYS ARE SAYING BY THE TIME
WHEN PEOPLE ARE SO AFRAID ABOUT
VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS, YOU THINK
IT STARTS WITH THE SMALLER
MOMENTS?
MOMENTS? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ONE KID THAT HAS NOT GOTTEN
ATTENTION THAT IS OVER IN THE
CORN HE, THAT IS QUIET, THAT NO
ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO, THAT
IS THE KID THAT WE’LL SAY WHAT’S
THE MATTER, WHY YOU OVER THERE
BY YOURSELF.
BY YOURSELF. BUT ONE KID AT A TIME.
THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE.
>> I WALKED INTO THE SCHOOL AT
FIRST WITH THIS PROGRAM AND I
WAS KIND OF SKEPTICAL BECAUSE I
REMEMBER HAVING A POLICE OFFICER
AT MY SCHOOL.
AND THIS WAS DIFFERENT.
EVERY SINGLE KID I TALKED WITH
HAD A SPECIFIC STORY ABOUT WHAT
ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS DID FOR
THEM, WHETHER IT WAS -- YOU
HEARD THAT ONE YOUNG MAN SAY HE
HAD TWO KNIVES IN HIS BACKPACK
AND THAT SITUATION WAS TOTALLY
RESOLVED BY TALKING.
>> AND THE RELATIONSHIP WHERE
YOU VIEW THE OFFICERS AS BEING
ON YOUR TEAM, THAT THEY ARE ALL
ON THE SAME SIDE IN THIS WHICH
REALLY CHANGES THE ENTIRE
DYNAMIC.
DYNAMIC. >> THAT’S WHAT HE SAID.
AND ONE OTHER NOTE, THIS DIDN’T
MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, THE POWER
OF A YOUNG TEENAGER FEELING LIKE
THEY ARE AFFIRMED AND THEY
MATTER, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL TALK
ABOUT HOW THEIR PARENTS ARE BUSY
AND IT IS NOT THAT THEIR PARENTS
DIDN’T CARE ABOUT THEM, BUT THEY
ARE WORKING OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
ONE KID’S GRADESES HAD GONE UP
AND I SAID WHAT CHANGED.
AND HE SAID I FELT LIKE SOMEBODY
CARED HOW I DID IN SCHOOL.
SO JUST AFFIRM THE KIDS WHEN YOU
SEE THEM, MAKE EYE CONTACT WHEN
YOU SEE A YOUNG PERSON AND IT
REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.