Safety at schools is a big concern for many parents, and that’s the focus of safe schools reports this week.  After weeks of digging, we’ve uncovered information about crimes at local schools.

According to reports News 2 obtained from the Moncks Corner and Goose Creek Police Departments, Berkeley Middle School had 160 student charges so far this school year.  Westview Primary did not have any.

Berkeley Middle School has more than 11-hundred students.  Included in the Berkeley Middle School numbers are 65 simple assaults;  7 assaults on a school official;  3 aggravated assaults on school officials;  3 criminal sexual conduct charges;  4 weapons and 5 drug charges.  News 2 asked principal Dr. Lee Westberry about the crime numbers.  She says, “We are very much like any other school.  We have a bunch of very good children and very supportive parents at this school, but security is a number one issue so in order to clean it up, we have to face it.“

Angel Padilla has two girls who attend school at Berkeley Middle.  He says, “That number was the first time i heard it.  Now that I hear that number, it still doesn’t startle me because I know what Dr. Westberry has in place, and I know what she’s doing to make things safer in this school.“

Padilla is working with Dr. Westberry on developing a safety plan.  He says, “I ask my daughters every day how’s school, are there any safety issues that they’re concerned with?  For the most part they do feel safe in school, and for the most part they say they do feel safe.“

There are several safety initiatives in place to help, including, student intervention and incentive programs;  mentor program;  transition camps for upcoming sixth graders;  parent workshops;  group counseling;  clubs and activities;  Department of Juvenile Justice intervention programs;  and school resource officer educational involvement.  Dr. Westberry says, “Do I think it’s a safe school,  yes don’t laugh, I do.  We have a lot of good kids here, but we don’t let it go unaddressed either because we want our children to know when you turn 17-years of age, it’s different.“

An officer from the Moncks Corner Police Department serves as school resource officer at Berkeley Middle.  Police Chief Chad Caldwell says the majority of his time is spent on discipline.  He says, “When you have one officer, and you have over a thousand students, that makes it awful hard. He spends the bulk of his time dealing with students that are having problems, never spending any time with students who are doing a great job and an opportunity to reward them.  I would certainly like to see in a school this size at least two resource officers, someone to do prevention.“

The district funds SRO’s for middle school,  but Charlie Davis assistant to the superintendent says right now, there is no additional money in the budget to add another officer.  Davis says, “We do hope that we can maintain what we have. we do have sro’s i believe in every middle school and high school.“

To parents, Dr. Westberry has this message, “Know we know, and we’re addressing it and we have lots of plans in place, and get involved.  This is when your kids don’t want you here, but this is when they need you here the most.“

Here’s a look at crime stats for other schools in Berkeley county:  Berkeley Alternative School had 53 student charges;  Stratford High has 52 student arrests;  Westview Middle has 39;  and Berkeley High school has 20 student charges.

If you would like to see how other schools in Berkeley county stack up when it comes to crime, click here.

There you will find a link to the persistently dangerous school report, which is a federally mandated state generated report.  According to the State Department of Education,  no school in South Carolina is considered persistently dangerous.