News
York Students Speak Out for Policing Reform
by Mr. Tull
Countless local community groups have responded to the call from state and city governments to offer suggestions for making the police more equitable and accountable. Our school is no exception. At York “PB and J” stands for “Police Betterment and Justice.” Last summer, in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the resultant outpouring of protest, a library full of York students and teachers met to trade stories of encounters with police, propose areas of investigation, and synthesize ideas about necessary changes in law enforcement policy, training, and community engagement, toward a more equitable and less violent future.
Once the school year began, History teacher Mr. Sam Gordon began facilitating student discussions by coordinating the sharing of stories and the generation of essential questions. English teacher Dr. Sarah Davis then helped students distill those questions into key issues and organized small groups to address them. History teacher Dr. Charles Kaczynski provided copious sources and the expert guidance needed to help students research their areas of greatest interest. These included police training, community relations, and transparency. Mr. Tull advised group members on their research and served as the club’s key liaison with the New York City Council.
Finally, the club reached out to the York Prep community to solicit a wider pool of student opinions on police reform. Amal Imad created a survey to be distributed in high school History classes where students could share their experiences and express their views. Club members met to review the results, which were illuminating. Most respondents reported that while they had not had a direct interaction with a police officer, they were concerned about interactions they had either witnessed personally or viewed on social media. Out of a list of possible issues, students rated as most important to them: “incidents of racist policing” and “violent responses to peaceful protests.” Club members Rome Kadi and Jenna Saevitzon are drafting a summary of these results to share with the York Community.
The very good news is that the New York City Council has passed a resolution [#1585] outlining the city’s plans to reform its police department. What’s more, the resolution includes many of the ideas put forth by PB and J, such as [and we quote] “Transparency and Accountability to the People of New York City”, “Community Representation”, and “A Diverse, Resilient, and Supportive NYPD.”
The next step for PB and J, as citizens, is to monitor the progress of these reforms, to make sure our city government makes good on its promises.
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