Plan to Boost Patrols Near Schools Approved

Seeking to ensure the safety of schoolchildren, the City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to boost police patrols on streets surrounding schools in gang-plagued neighborhoods in Watts.

City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said the stepped-up patrols, which will cost $150,000 through the end of the school year, would help “create an environment in which young people who want to get an education can do so without taking their lives in their hands.”

Deputy Police Chief William Rathburn said the department’s Southeast Division now has six officers patroling “pedestrian corridors.” But he said that “has not been enough” to ensure the safety of students.

With the new money, the department will be able to deploy 10 officers in five cars each school day, Rathburn said. They will patrol streets around Jordan and Locke high schools and nearby junior highs and elementary schools.