Pubdate: Sat, 08 Nov 2003 Source: Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC) Copyright: 2003 Sun Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/987 Note: Apparent 150 word limit on LTEs Author: Brock Vergakis Brunswick County, N.C. SCHOOLS' CRIME DOWN; MORE DRUGS FOUND BOLIVIA, N.C. - The number of violent and criminal incidents in Brunswick County schools dropped by nearly 10 percent in the 2002-03 school year, according to an annual report from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. Brunswick County's reduction in violent and criminal incidents follows a statewide trend. In North Carolina, the number of violent and criminal offenses dropped from 7.7 acts per 1,000 student to 6.6. In Brunswick County, that rate dropped from 12.3 acts per 1,000 students to 11.075. Although Brunswick County's overall incidents decreased from 127 to 115, the number of students caught with a controlled substance increased for the third-straight year, reaching a six-year high. Brunswick County Superintendent Eddy Daniel said that's because the school system is stepping up its enforcement and not because drug use is becoming more widespread. "We've been able to increase our efforts at spotting or intervening with drug use," Daniel said. This year, the Brunswick County schools' code of conduct was revised, making punishment for drug possession much more strict as part of a systemwide crackdown to ban drugs from campus. One of the reasons Daniel said more students are being caught with controlled substances is because faculty and staff are becoming more aware of prescription drug abuse. Of the 115 violent or criminal offenses reported, 72 were for possession of a controlled substance. Last year, 63 of 127 incidents were for the same offense. Even with the increase in possession of controlled substance incidents, Daniel said this year's report is cause for celebration. The number of assaults on school personnel dropped from 28 in 2001-02 to 11 last year. The number of weapons found on campuses dropped from 21 to 14. "We've increased the penalty for fighting. We're sending a clear message that it will not be tolerated," he said. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, states are required to identify "persistently dangerous schools" and offer parents the opportunity to transfer their children from these schools to other public schools in the district. In North Carolina, "persistently" dangerous schools are defined as schools in which a total of five or more violent criminal offenses are committed per 1,000 students during each of the two most recent school years and in which the conditions that contributed to these offenses are likely to continue into another school year. There are no persistently dangerous schools in Brunswick County, according to the state Education Department. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman