Keeping kids safe in LA schools

In the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Los Angeles County Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy and Senator Ted Lieu addressed the issue of safety as it pertains to the nearly 700,000 students in the district. On Monday, Sen. Lieu spoke with KCRW about a proposed bill that he claims will shore up necessary safety regulations in under performing schools across Los Angeles.

Sen. Lieu’s bill will impose a penalty on schools that do not adequately prepare disaster plan and inform the district in writing.

Police reporter Joel Rubin of the Los Angeles Times explained on Monday that LAPD Chief Charlie Beck plans to add new rounds police task forces in an effort to patrol schools across the county, effective immediately. “The plan is still taking shape,” Rubin reports, however, Chief Beck intends to work with and overlap the LAUSD police department’s patrols. In order to ensure safety, LAPD cars will be dispatched to the district’s 730 schools for spot checks. The logistics of the patrols are still being determined.