Report: Use Of Force By DISD Officers On The Rise
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The numbers are out for use of force by Dallas Independent School District police officers, and a report shows they're rising. But DISD's police chief says the numbers are not what they seem.
From breaking up a fight within the halls of a Dallas school to handcuffing a student at a sporting event, the "Dangerous Discipline," report published by two non-profits, says DISD officers are using too much force.
The report showed 204 use of force incidents in the 2014-2015 school year; up from 106 cases in 2011-2012.
But DISD Police Chief Craig Miller says those numbers have in part improved since reporting.
"We're probably doing a better job today of documenting use of force, which is exactly what we want to do," he says. "We don't want to hide anything. We want to be as transparent as we possibly can."
The report says two DISD force cases involved 6-year-olds. Chief Miller says both were minimal restraint to keep the child safe, and one was requested by the parent.
The report also shows that a disproportionate number of African-American students received tickets and complaints. Chief Miller says the data is at least 18 months old and that they write very few citations at all now - 198 this year so far, 181 of which were for traffic violations.
But some students says officers are too rough
"Scared and worried for other classmates and students, because I don't want anyone to get hurt bad," says 7th grader Melanie Hernandez.
Chief Miller says they are constantly making efforts to improve, which includes several training programs to help officers better engage with the community.
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