. @NYCCouncil is holding a hearing on a package of bills related to school safety. One calls for transferring oversight of school safety agents from the NYPD to the DOE.

Another bill requires annual reports on turnover of school safety agents, touching on things like how many have been fired, how many have been transferred between schools and how many have resigned.

Another bill requires annual reports on turnover of school safety agents, touching on things like how many have been fired, how many have been transferred between schools and how many have resigned. Another bill regulates NYPD's response to students with emotional crises.

. @MarkTreyger718 refers to data analyzed by @NYCLU that revealed that in the 2018-10 school year, Black and Hispanic students — who make up 66 percent of public school students — accounted for 88.8 percent of police interventions in schools.

And out of the 694 school-based arrests in 2019, Black and Hispanic students accounted for 90 percent of those arrests, compared to just 5 percent for white students.

. @DianaAyalaNYC refers to a report by @AFCNewYork that found that between July 2016 and June 2017, NYPD responded to 2,700 incidents involving a student in emotional and crisis.

The group found that 95 percent of those interventions involved students of color, and 12 percent resulted in students in handcuffs, including children as young as five years old. "As a parent, I was horrified by those numbers," Ayala says.

. @nycpa points to impact of police in schools on students and says the application process to become a school safety agent is not through a process that starts with intention to work in education ad with young people and instead centered on law enforcement.

But he also says that we can't paint everyone with the same brush. Says he has worked with many school safety agents. Also says we need to think about the potential employment impact, there has to be a guarantee the agents will have job placements.

He adds that the voices of young people have not shaped this bill enough. Says the city has not done well on the issue and that the Council members have to use their legislative power to handle it themselves.

LaShawn Robinson, deputy chancellor for school climate and wellness at @NYCSchools, says that the DOE's restorative justice program is in 300 middle schools and high schools. Also says there's access to social-emotional support for elementary schools.

She also says the DOE announced a new chancellor's regulation. Under that regulation, schools have to develop a crisis intervention plan that identifies interventions and strategies for addressing students in crises.

Also says the regulation says every effort must be made to safely de-escalata a situation. If a student poses a risk or injury to themselves or others, the principal has to call 911.

On bills being proposed today, she says they're in the process of engaging. "It would be premature to respond to specific provisions," she says. But she notes they are committed to the transfer, which will happen by June 2022. Also agrees input of principals is key to safety.

She says they have to make informed decisions and be confident that the system they develop ensures complete safety for students and staff but also consider the livelihood of school safety agents who are mostly women of color.

Deputy Chief Olufunmilola Obe, Commander of the School Safety Division, praises school safety agents: "These individuals — approximately 90 percent of whom are Black and Hispanic, about 70 percent of whom are women — are consummate professionals."

Obe says they oppose removing police in schools. And says language in bill is "overly broad," and prevents the NYPD from consulting the DOE on plans.

Treyger asks if she agrees that the principal is fundamentally in charge of the school building. Obe says, "We all have voices and seats at the table." Treyger takes issue with her and another NYPD official, Michael Clarke of Legislative Affairs, not agreeing with his statement.

Kenyatte Reid, executive director of the Office of Safety and Youth Development, says committees will get ongoing and regular feedback from the community. Reid says they've been in contact with Los Angeles, Denver, Minneapolis, etc. because they have been through the process.

Reid says that the city hired 475 new school safety agents set to start in the spring at a cost of $20 million. Says there are two new classes coming in, one in March and one in June.

Reid says the $20M should be used for restorative justice coordinators, social workers, guidance counselors, culturally responsive curriculum development, literacy programs. "I am deeply concerned that our investment is in the wrong place," Reid says.

Reid says they have restorative justice positions that can't be backfilled. "I think we all say these things but when you ask me about LA, that's what they're doing and we can do that," Reid says.

Treyger says it's the first he's hearing about 475 new school safety agents after the administration told the Council that there is a hiring freeze on school safety agents as there has been a freeze on "many critical DOE positions."

"It is outrageous that they, first of all, lied to this institution and quite frankly did not invest the resources where our kids need them the most and so we are in full agreement with you... and certainly this is going to be a major issue in our budget season," Treyger says.

Michael Clarke of Legislative Affairs at NYPD insists that the signoff hasn't happened. Says he's not sure it has been officially decided. He says it was discussed on a call and it's something they've been discussing with OMB and de Blasio.

. @BobHoldenNYC says school safety agents are not just NYPD, that they're human beings. "I would actually look at this very carefully and it'll cost a lot more money to transfer the programs over to the agency... at this point we have to tread carefully," he says.

He said he witnessed a shooting in his school (he's a college professor) and that he understood that it was important to have the police respond quickly and save lives. Notes two people were killed.

"I remember those days," Holden says. "That's why I think safety is the number one thing we should be thinking about but obviously we need more counselors in the schools."

Robinson is insisting that no decision had been made about hiring new school safety agents. She says it’s an opportunity “for us to think about how we value our young people” as budget decisions are made, noting the need to make ones that “reflect our values.”