Florida school district set to adopt policy hiding evidence of student crimes from taxpayers

One Florida county is set to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for school -related crimes that excuse the school from reporting certain student-committed crimes to law enforcement.

Draft policy documents publicly posted on The Lee County School District website reveal language taken almost word-for-word from a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act excusing school districts from reporting certain student-crimes to law enforcement.

“Petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors do not require reports to a law enforcement agency, these include, but not limited to:

(a) Disorderly conduct

(b) Simple assault or battery

(c) Affray

(d) Theft of less than $300

(e) Trespassing

(f) Vandalism of less than $1,000

If a student commits more than one misdemeanor, the School Threat Assessment Team must consult with the school resource officer to determine if the act should be reported to law enforcement.

Florida SB 7026 signed into law by former Florida Governor Rick Scott in 2018 requires all county school districts adopt this policy and implement these procedures:

Here’s the exact language of Florida SB 7026, section 1006.13:

“Zero-tolerance policies do not require the reporting of petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors to a law enforcement agency, including but not limited to:

a)    Disorderly conduct

b)    Disrupting a school function

c)    Simple assault or battery

d)    Affray

e)    Theft of less than $300

f)     Trespassing

g)    Vandalism of less than $1000

With pressure now placed on school resource officers (SRO) to report or not report these types of student-related crimes to law enforcement, open government watchdogs have lots more ammunition with which to criticize school districts and LEO---becoming more opaque versus more transparent—and policies such as these put SROs in possibly very tenuous circumstances.

County Examiners role serves to remind Florida school districts and SROs that our 2018 Legislature passed this bill and our former Governor signed this bill into law. And in their haste to rush this bill through the Lege we now learn they've endorsed hiding evidence of school-related crime, keeping the public in the dark about legitimate public safety issues occurring in the grounds of their neighborhood schools. 

Congolese migrant families destined for Florida, Texas and other U.S. cities

Three Florida and two Texas cities are among the 16 destinations of Congolese migrant families who arrived in San Antonio, Texas the first week of June.

A June 15 Washington Examiner story by Anna Giaritelli reported the details of the migrant’s arrival and with an assist from KENS5 reporter Jaleesa Irizarry includes destinations of the Congolese families as obtained from the City of San Antonio:

“SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Roughly 300 Congolese and Angolan citizens who arrived in San Antonio the first week of June after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border days earlier have all briskly departed the city for destinations across the country, some with fuzzy plans based partly on hope.

The hundreds of family members and single adults from Central Africa first showed up June 4 at the southern border’s Eagle Pass and Del Rio towns in south-central Texas. The migrants surrendered to Border Patrol agents and claimed asylum after crossing the Rio Grande.

The agency did not, as it is supposed to, turn families over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, it released families onto the streets of Eagle Pass and Del Rio, according to two government and nongovernment officials with first-hand knowledge of the matter. The African migrants then bought bus tickets to either San Antonio or Austin, according to San Antonio Interim Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger.”

https://twitter.com/JaleesaReports/status/1138935801100865536

Last week County Examiner published details from a March 12, 2019 presentation by the International Rescue Committee (IRC)  of the stress felt on Florida’s’ educational system, especially in the parts of Florida with Congolese refugees who’ve never attended school.

“A second presentation by Ms. Bilic from International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Comprehensive Refugee Services provider in the NW Region, Leon County followed up with this:

The educational system is feeling the stress with so many refugees in a few schools while working with those who have never attended school before while in refugee camps.”

Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach County school districts are home to the cities of Miami, Orlando and Boynton Beach, Florida. Dallas and Travis County are home to the cities of Dallas and Austin, Texas. 

Boynton Beach, Florida appears to be a new placement city for Congolese refugees. Reports generated from the Refugee Processing Center no DRC refugees were placed in Boynton Beach between January 1, 2015 through May, 2019.

Since January 2015, 5057 Congolese refugees were placed in 22 Texas cities with Houston and Fort Worth topping the list.

Desoto County officials briefed on Florida’s’ hepatitis A outbreak

Employees of the Florida Department of Health briefed the Desoto County Board of Commissioners on the current hepatitis A outbreak in the state, emphasizing the best preventative measure is vaccination.

According to public documents reviewed by County Examiner, during the May 14, 2019 BOC meeting Penny Pringle, Assistant County Health Department Director and Patrick Hickey, Epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health gave a short presentation on the nature of the disease and how the illness progresses.

The Florida Department of Health continues to publish the number and percentage of reported hepatitis A cases on their website.

“From January 1, 2018 through June 15, 2019, 2109 hepatitis A cases were reported.”

The number of reported hepatitis A cases more than doubled from 2016 to 2017 and nearly doubled again in 2018 after remaining relatively stable in previous years. Case counts in 2019 have already surpassed those in 2018.”

A map published on the Florida Department of Health website reveals Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando Counties have the highest cumulative rate per 100,000 population, followed by numerous counties across the Central Florida region.

The Hepatitis A Surveillance report dated May 2019 disclosed in that month the incidence rate was highest among adults aged 30-39 years old at 4.9 cases per 100,000 population. Since January 1, 2018, cases were reported primarily among men (66%) and persons who identify as non-Hispanic white (92%).

Nationwide

“Hepatitis A rates have decreased by more than 95% since the first vaccine became available in 1995. However, since March of 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been monitoring outbreaks in 15 states among persons who use drugs and persons who are experiencing homelessness. Kentucky and West Virginia have been the most heavily impacted, and response efforts are ongoing.”

Florida response

“Several Florida counties have experienced ongoing local transmission of hepatitis A since 2017. Since January 1, 2018, 98% of Florida’s cases (n=1,876) have likely been acquired in Florida. Cases likely acquired in Florida share several common risk factors including drug use (both injection and non-injection drugs), identifying as men who have sex with men, and recently experiencing homelessness. Individuals with any of these risk factors should receive the hepatitis A vaccine, and health care providers are encouraged to actively offer the hepatitis A vaccine to individuals at risk. Vaccination is the best way to prevent hepatitis A infection.”

Uh-oh; Congolese refugees stressing Florida educational system

A service provider involved in resettling Congolese nationals in one Florida county recently explained a key issue facing the Tallahassee area is also facing school districts across the entire state, “especially those with Congolese refugees.”

Documented in the minutes of a March 12, 2019 Refugee Task Force meeting held in Leon County, home of Tallahassee, the state capitol, comes this informative nugget from the state refugee services program director:

“Patti Grogan, The Refugee Services Program Director made the first presentation to give the participants a historical perspective to the growth and status of the program during the past 15-20 years. This perspective was compared to the political events of the previous years to what is currently occurring during 2019. As services for refugees have only begun to take effect during the past 5 years in Leon County most participants did not have a frame of reference from previous years.

She explained that the other refugee services programs in Florida have experienced a huge decrease in the numbers of new clients arriving in their counties. Ms. Grogan did confirm that many of the challenges and important issues facing refugees in Tallahassee are also being experienced around Florida especially those with Congolese refugees.”

A second presentation by Ms. Bilic from International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Comprehensive Refugee Services provider in the NW Region, Leon County followed up with:

“The educational system is feeling the stress with so many refugees in a few schools while working with those who have never attended school before while in refugee camps.

As IRC reminds the participants that while addressing the important need of learning English in the schools, the students are struggling with reading and writing skills. Mr Beasley will focus his efforts on the tutoring needs of the children during both their R&P and Case Management involvement. The students are eager to go to school, but the older students often struggle at first with their social involvement. “

Data extracted from the Refugee Processing Center reveal 1754 Congolese refugees were resettled in eleven Florida cities between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2019.

County Examiner contacted a representative of the State of Florida – Department of Children and Families, Refugee Services Program with questions about this task force report and will publish additional information when we receive a response.

Attorney brief corroborates every concern firearm owners expressed about Florida’s disastrous gun confiscation act

• Rushed into law aka “never let a good crisis go to waste”? Check.
• Supported by the NRA ? Check.
• Act language copied from a gun-grabbing state? Check.
• Due process concerns? Check.
• Admission of hearsay evidence allowed? Check.

An appeal to Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals in Lakeland, FL argues a statute created through the passage of gun control legislation signed into law by former Governor Rick Scott is unconstitutional on its face.

The brief, filed by Orlando attorney Kendra E. Parris documents the facts of her clients' case and interestingly enough affirms the very legislative process and legal concerns Florida firearms owners expressed about the disastrous bill during and in the aftermath of its passage. This blog examines three such concerns below.

The case is styled D.T.M. v Grady Judd, Sheriff of Polk County. Case #2D18-4631

SB 7026 proceeds through the Florida Legislature in under three weeks 

In March 2018 former Florida Governor – now United States Senator Rick Scott - signed SB 7026 into law. Among 2A supporters, discussion of the “Extreme Risk Protection Order” Act section of the bill initially centered on very troubling circumstances surrounding support for the legislation and its rushed passage through the Legislature in under three weeks.

Media report surfaces of NRA support for the ERPO 

As SB 7026 progressed through the Legislature an independent news account surfaced; an anonymous Republican source alleged National Rifle Association support and orchestration of the bills passage through Tallahassee. Was this true?

On her blog Ms. Parris writes:

 “Interestingly, and perhaps ironically, the NRA came out in favor of the risk protection order scheme, although the organization is challenging the constitutionality of the age increase and waiting period."

Origination of the ERPO Act language

A third question emerged among firearm owners. How could the language of the bill be crafted so quickly? A review of the Florida Senate website revealed SB 7026 was on the Senate Rules Committee agenda for 2/26/2018, twelve days after the February 14th shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Seems the text of the ERPO was copied from a Washington State ballot referendum

Ms. Parris posts:

 “At the time the Act was passed, only five other states had similar “red flag law” legislation: Indiana, Connecticut, Oregon, Washington and California. The Florida law was derived almost word-for-word from the Washington “Extreme Risk Protection Order Act”, Wash. Rev. Code 7.94 which passed by voter referendum in 2016.”

On March 9, 2018 then Governor Rick Scott signed SB 7026 into law.

The brief filed with the Second DCA also makes public the due process concerns, shielding of law enforcement from civil immunity for acts related to the ERPO process, allowing the admission of hearsay evidence –SAY WHAT???---and the unlawful delegation of prosecutorial authority to law enforcement set forth in this bill, in violation of the Florida Constitution. Almost every legitimate legislative procedural and legal nightmare expressed by Florida firearm owners about this disaster of a bill are outlined in Ms. Parris’ brief. You can read it all here.

Harris, Dallas counties top list of inmates with immigration detainers in Texas county jails

Harris and Dallas County jails together accounted for 34% of the inmates with immigration detainers housed in Texas County jails for the month of April 2019, reported the Texas Commission On Jail Standards.

In its report dated May 16, 2019 5,742 inmates with immigration detainers were housed for a total count of 113,917 inmate days in Texas County jails for the month. Topping the list of county jails housing the most inmates with immigration detainers were Harris, Dallas and Hidalgo counties with 1095, 862 and 569 inmates respectively.

As noted in the report, Texas Senate Bill 1698 authored by former State Senator Tommy Williams became law following the 82nd regular session. SB 1698 mandated the reporting of the total number of inmates with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers housed in jails under the Commission’s purview as part of the monthly population report.

The complete list of Texas county jails, number of inmates with ICE detainers and number of inmate days can be found here.

Coming Soon! The debut of County Examiner-keeping an eye on county government

Welcome to County Examiner! After more than 10 years contributing content to a nationally-known Harris County, Texas-based political blog and publishing original content on her own blog covering Fort Bend County, Texas, the County Examiner is expanding the scope of reporting on county-level governments outside Texas to now include the 67 counties of Florida.

By exploiting a void in media reporting on the workings of county governments, County Examiner will publish “public information from public sources”. Through leveraging the Texas Public Information Act and the Florida Sunshine Law this blog intends to inform and educate readers on public policy issues, publish & share reports affecting Texas and Florida counties, and provide insight into matters of public interest facing your county commissioners. It’s my hope you’ll find the unique reporting informative enough to spur robust conversations on legitimate issues worthy of public debate in accordance with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Drop me a note at siennamud10@gmail.com if you’ve got a tip or with your feedback. Thanks for your readership and welcome to County Examiner!