New York City is to fund security guards for non-public schools, including Jewish schools. Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito have reached agreement on a bill that would require the city to provide each non-public school with more than 300 students with a private security guard.
The bill, which was sponsored by Democratic City Councilman David Greenfield, would make $19.8 million available to fund security at the city’s private schools, according to a report by 'Politico'. It would be the first time religious and non-public schools in the city will be provded with taxpayer-funded security.
According to the draft legislation, each non-public school is to receive an additional security guard from a "state licensed security guard agency". The guards will be privately contracted employees, not NYPD school safety officers, an effort to assuage concerns top NYPD officials expressed earlier this summer.
In a statement, de Blasio said: "We’re pleased we could work productively with Speaker Mark-Viverito, Councilman Greenfield and their colleagues on an initiative that gives the administration the flexibility to develop a program that recognizes community needs, while addressing administration concerns about diverting critical police resources. This will be a targeted and fiscally responsible effort that will bolster security where it’s most appropriate."
De Blasio had been non-committal about the bill, saying over the summer that he was open to a “dialogue” about how to best protect New York City children, but de Blasio and Council members have faced significant pressure from religious leaders and organizations on the bill over the last several months.
In a letter to de Blasio in June, Cardinal Timothy Dolan urged the mayor to fund "the safety of the children of our city." Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams also advocated for the bill, calling it “the right thing in the right time.”
There are around 350 Jewish schools in New York City a majority of which have more than 300 students and would qualify for the scheme.
