School, City Officials Issue Statement On Violent Incidents

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — With three violent incidents involving New Rochelle High School students occurring in the last week, city and school officials issued a joint statement Thursday saying that changes will be made to some procedures and a review of all security protocols and policies will be undertaken, and a public forum was announced to discuss the recent violence. The statement came from New Rochelle Board of Education President Rachel Relkin, Schools Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne, Mayor Noam Bramson and City Manager Charles Strome III.

“There is no higher priority than the safety of our children, and there is no asset of greater importance to New Rochelle than public confidence in our schools,” the statement said.

“Within the past week there have been three violent incidents involving New Rochelle High School students, two off school grounds and the most recent in a classroom. Each of these incidents in isolation would be a matter of grave concern. Coming in such quick succession, they pose an urgent challenge that commands our full attention,” the statement continues.

Acknowledging that the city and school system have distinct roles and responsibilities, the officials said they will continue to work constructively in service to the community they serve together.

The following immediate steps will be taken:

• Uniformed police officers have been assigned to the primary access points surrounding New Rochelle High School, and in addition, a uniformed presence will be assigned to the school building itself, until further notice.
• Police presence and visibility along North Avenue south of New Rochelle High School will be enhanced during hours when students tend to congregate or travel to and from school. This presence will augment a long-standing practice of assigning resources to areas with a high concentration of student traffic.
• Access to New Rochelle High School will be strictly controlled and enforced.

The incidents have raised broader questions about security protocols and associated policies, the officials said.

“We are, therefore, initiating a top-to-bottom, high-level review of all practices, procedures and policies that may be directly or indirectly related to student safety. This review will build on and augment the ongoing coordination between city and school authorities,” the statement said.

The school district will host a public forum to discuss the recent incidents. The forum will occur at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23 in the Whitney M. Young Auditorium in New Rochelle High School, 265 Clove Rd.

Photo credit: NRED.org.