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Jun 30, 2008 7:46 pm US/Eastern
Website Supports Police During Budget Battles
Police Union Says School Board Is Stalling On Negotiations
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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A picture of a Tec-9 machine pistol, seized at a Miami Dade high school, is just one of the guns found on TheRealDadeSchools.net.
THEREALDADESCHOOLS.NET/CBS
As Miami Dade's School Board struggles to find a way to cut a quarter of a billion dollars from next year's budget, the union which represents county school police officers has launched a website showing guns seized from area schools.
The weapons were collected from 35, or nearly 10 percent, of Miami-Dade schools in 2007. Guns were taken from seven elementary schools.
According to the web page
TheRealDadeSchools.net, the Fraternal Order of Police union created the site for two reasons. The first was to demonstrate the efforts of school police officers to "rid the public schools of weapons, drugs, gangs, and criminal activity providing a safe environment, conducive to learning. The second is to expose criminal activity that the district is reluctant to recognize and does not want the community (i.e. concerned parents) to know about."
"The reason why we started this website is to let the public know what officers do without incident, that guns are being removed from schools without a shot being fired," Howard Giraldo, President of the School Police Union said.
Last Wednesday, the School Board declared that the state failed to provide adequate funding for next year. By doing so, it allowed Schools' Superintendent Rudy Crew to re-open salary negotiations with "all bargaining units" including the FOP.
TheRealDadeSchools.net states: "
At this time Dr. Rudy Crew, Superintendent of Schools and the Miami-Dade School Board refuse to ratify a contract with our officers and are trying to eliminate School Police."The website asks all parents to support candidates endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police during the next election to ensure the "furthering (of) our law enforcement mission."
"The safety of the kids. That's important. And some kids are bad themselves. Everyone needs protection from school police and that helps the neighborhood too," parent Leslie Higgs said.
Giraldo said two budget meetings are coming up on July 15th and July 30th. After that, he said he should have a better idea if the website is having an impact.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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