Published: May 27, 2007 01:11 am            

Schools adopt policies to secure against the gang issue

By Cass Rains

Staff Writer



Enid Public Schools is taking security measures and educating themselves about potential gang-related problems in the district.

EPS policies, updated in 2003 to 2004, prohibit the existence of gangs, fraternities, sororities or secret societies in any school.

According to the policy, a gang is “any group of two or more persons whose purposes include the encouragement, support or commission of illegal acts or acts in violation of disciplinary rules of Enid Public Schools”

Students are prohibited by the policy to wear or distribute anything gang-related and using any verbal or non-verbal gang-related communication.

Minor violations of the policy are punishable by five days suspension or in-school suspension. Maximum penalties include out-of-school suspension to the extent allowed by law.

“We don’t have an identified major problem with gangs at Enid High School,” said EHS Principal Jim Beierschmitt. “Every school is going to have a minor problem.”

He said a good working relationship with police and campus police, as well as policies at school, help keep administrators aware of any gang problems or indicators of gang problems.

“The Enid Police Department has supplied us with some good information,” Beierschmitt said.

He said last year, the department held two meetings for administrators about indicators of gang activities or affiliations.

“I think the Enid Police Department has done a great job,” Beierschmitt said. “They give us some good training and some heads up on things we need to look for.”

“We certainly have a very open and good working relationship with campus police,” Capt. Dean Grassino said.

He said information between the two groups is shared on a regular basis or as new information arises.

He said the department provides campus police and administrators with information about gangs and have “provided them with some training.”

“Most of the people we can associate with gangs are not attending school,” Grassino said.

The captain said either they have dropped out or are too old to attend, and most are young adults.

Beierschmitt said security measures in the high school, including student ID badges, security cameras and the four campus police officers who are housed at the school.

“We have 26 security cameras and are adding some more this summer,” he said. “We keep a very watchful eye.”

A 16-year-old EHS student, who will be a junior this fall, said he felt “safe” at his school because of all the measures in place.

“I feel safe by what’s all going on,” he said.

He said students are required to wear their IDs throughout the school. Beierschmitt said the badges are checked often, and teachers spend time between classes monitoring students.

The student said he didn’t like having to wear the badge but admitted the practicality of the security measure.

“I guess having it around is a safe thing,” he said. “All of the teachers check them pretty often.”

The student said he saw no signs of gangs or gang activity at the school, but he did say there were students who wanted to appear to be in gangs.

“There’s a lot of those,” he said, noting he believes the other students are not serious about joining a gang.

“I think they’re just trying to find people to hang out with,” he said. “I think they’re just trying to get their look together.”

The student said he had no worries about gangs at the school.

“I’m not really worried about Enid High,” he said. “They’ve got it pretty well figured out out there.”