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School Safety Program To Tackle Truancy, Gun Violence Prevention

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — City prosecutors said Monday they have a plan to help staff and parents tackle issues surrounding safe passages to school, truancy prevention, environmental safety, parent education and gun violence prevention.

City Attorney Mike Feuer introduced the Neighborhood School Safety Program at three local middle schools located in each Los Angeles Police Department Bureau: Barack Obama Global Preparatory Middle School (South Bureau), Joseph Le Conte Middle School (West Bureau), and John H. Liechty Middle School (Central Bureau).

The pilot program will also be instituted at Vista Middle School.

Under the City Attorney's Neighborhood School Safety Program (NSSP), school officials and parents to create a safe passage to school program for Vista Middle School students starting this fall.

The City Attorney's Truancy Prevention Program (TPP) will continue its partnership with several community partners including LAUSD, the Probation Department, and LAPD, to address truancy through multi agency attendance meetings called School Attendance Review Boards (SARB).

Feuer's office has also identified approximately 100 locations in close proximity to Vista Middle School with potential environmental violations. The City Attorney's Environmental Justice and Protection Unit task force is currently conducting inspections of those facilities as well as conducting multiple internal compliance audits.

The City Attorney has filed two criminal cases in alleged incidents of improper disposal of pollutants and toxic substances at locations within blocks of Vista School, prosecutors said.

LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff and other city officials cheered the effort.

Student safety is extremely important to me," said Ratliff. "If City Attorney Mike Feuer's Neighborhood School Safety Program shows the expected positive results, I would love to see it expand to all of our schools."

"As both a Councilwoman and a mother, I am glad that we are working together with the community to protect our children," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez. "If our kids aren't safe, or if they are constantly bombarded with negative elements, how do we expect them to succeed in school and make good life choices that will improve their long term prospects?"

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