CMS & Law Enforcement Sign Agreement

[OnCrime]

The following was in a CMS press release today. I will post more information on the main blog if I get my hands on the 'memo.'

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CMS and local law enforcement sign Memorandum of Understanding

Peter C. Gorman, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County law enforcement have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to help keep schools safe. This formal agreement spells out the schools’ responsibilities and the agencies’ responsibilities if a crime is committed on school grounds. It is also aligned with Goal III of the Strategic Plan 2010--Safe and Orderly Schools.

“We believe the best way to keep our schools safe is to have teachers and education professionals handle academic matters, and to have law enforcement handled by those who are trained to do it,” Gorman said.

Chief Darrel Stephens and deputy chief Jerry Sennett of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Mecklenburg County sheriff Jim Pendergraph, Chief Phillip Potter of the Huntersville Police Department, Chief Jeanne Miller of the Davidson Police Department, Lt. M.K. Wally of the Cornelius Department and Chief Rob Hunter of the Matthews Police Department joined Dr. Gorman for today’s signing.

The MOU clarifies the responsibilities of principals when a crime is committed on campus. It also define the roles of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools law enforcement officers--the four detectives and 10 officers employed by CMS who support our schools.

Principals and assistant principals are required to immediately report a crime committed on school grounds to law enforcement. If a school law enforcement officer is on campus, principals may notify that person. If not, principals should call 911.

Criminal investigations are the responsibility of law enforcement agencies. The CMS law enforcement officers support our schools during emergencies, at various sporting events and with daily patrols.

Link: www.cms.k12.nc.us/includes/gfi.asp?fileHandle=4111.asp

[rain]

it sounds like they should have done this a long time ago.

from the disturber:

CMS, police sign agreement on crime. Pact means prompt reporting of criminal activity

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the county's law enforcement agencies signed an agreement Wednesday morning designed to help make the school system safer for students and staff members.

The Memorandum of Understanding will guarantee that principals and assistant principals in the CMS system promptly report any criminal activity to law enforcement agencies.

It also creates a single way of responding to those reports, so the county's various law enforcement agencies can cooperate on criminal cases.

"We realized about a year ago that we were operating together, but without a clearly stated agreement on how to handle these cases," said Matthews Police Chief Rob Hunter. "CMS law enforcement was dealing with seven different law enforcement agencies, and those agencies sometimes had slightly different ways of reporting criminal activities."

Under the new agreement, CMS administrators are required to immediately report a crime committed on campus.

If one of the 14 CMS law enforcement officers are on campus at the time, the administrator will report the crime to that officer. Otherwise, the principal or assistant principal must call 911.

The agreement also calls for the law enforcement agencies -- police departments in Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville, and the sheriff's office -- to conduct the criminal investigations. CMS law enforcement officers, who are fully certified in police work, will serve in a support role to the police departments.

Superintendent Peter Gorman said the new agreement does not require administrators to report all discipline problems.

"If someone commits a crime, we will report it to law enforcement," Gorman said. "Not all discipline cases involve criminal activity, however."

STEVE LYTTLE
[e-mail]


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[madnoc]

I have the memo, and it is very hard to read. It is a memorandum of misunderstanding. It gives CMS the ability,by policy, to not report most crimes to law enforcement. They have to, by law, report felonies and certain misdemeanors. With the new MOU, they now do not have to report fights.

[xmakai]

rain said:

it sounds like they should have done this a long time ago.

from the disturber:

Getting a ticket for leaving the vehicle running.

" This is one of the most disrespectful laws I have ever heard of. A person should have the right to crank his vehicle and leave it running for whatever reason he pleases. As long as the intention is not in danger of society. We don't need laws that protect us from freedom. How can someone justify helping us by applying a law that takes away something that everyone does. If the government really wants to spend money on something, whey don't they take those camera's they spent millions of dollars on and begin getting the thefts on surveillance.

[bruce]

Only CMS and Char-Meck can make simple things so hard . I bet they had 20 meetings and spent thousands on printing costs to explain all of this . How about some common sense.
The money and time they waste!!!