[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H615-H616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REFORM OF OUR NATION'S SCHOOLS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sherwood). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congress and past 
member of the Maryland State legislature, I have witnessed and been 
engaged in numerous debates on how to reform our Nation's classrooms. I 
certainly believe we do everything we can to ensure that we provide 
adequate funding and employ effective teaching techniques that will 
raise the academic output of our students.
  However, even the most funding and the best teachers will not produce 
successful students if there are significant discipline problems that 
distract students from their studies.
  So I come to the floor of this House to pay special tribute to a 
group of men and women that play a crucial role in keeping students in 
my district on track, the Baltimore City Police School Force.
  Under the leadership of Chief Leonard Hamm, this public school police 
force is charged with providing protection and safety services to 
108,000 students, 12,500 personnel, 187 schools, and 1,300 acres of 
land around Baltimore City, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a 
result of their efforts, there has been a dramatic drop in the amount 
of assaults and arrests in the Baltimore City school system.
  During Chief Hamm's first year on the force in 1997, the number of 
arrests in Baltimore City schools dropped 45 percent from the first 
half to the second half of the school year. Assaults are down 34 
percent and arrests are down a remarkable 57 percent.
  During the last 2 school years, there have only been six incidents 
involving a gun. This is a remarkable turnaround from 1994 when there 
were 77 incidents involving firearms. Looking at individual schools, 
the change is even more dramatic. We have seen the number of disruptive 
incidents and violence drop by as much as 70 percent in some of the 
City's most troubled schools.
  As we look back on the past year, filled with school violence, this 
turnaround gives me hope that our Nation's schools can be safe havens 
and productive learning environments that our parents expect.
  Moreover, our youth should be stimulated by more than just reading, 
writing, and arithmetic. I cannot imagine any school experience without 
various afterschool activities, clubs and special events. Sadly, our 
school halls have become increasingly void of such activities, but an 
amazing thing has happened in Baltimore as a result in the drop in 
crime and fear of crime: school social activities have made a comeback.
  School pep rallies and dances have been banned for several years 
because of safety concerns. But this past November, Southern High 
School had its first pep rally and dance in 6 years.
  Dances, pep rallies, and sporting events foster pride in the school. 
If students have a sense of pride in their school, they will be less 
likely to want to disrupt it. These activities also enrich our 
students' overall experience.
  So what is the secret to Chief Hamm's success? You might think 
success has something to do with high-tech surveillance cameras and 
metal detectors, but you will not find any metal detectors or cameras 
in Baltimore City public schools. Instead, Chief Hamm has installed a 
policy fostering mutual respect between police, students, and faculty.
  He believes that when police earn the respect of students, students 
will respect the police and the school. Chief Hamm has also made it his 
mission to nuture a sense of ownership of the school by students. He 
believes that crime in school can be reduced when students respect 
their school in the same way they respect their own home. This strategy 
has lead to the safest school environment in Baltimore City schools in 
many years.
  In light of these successful efforts and hard work, I will be 
presenting the Baltimore City School Police Department with an Elijah 
E. Cummings U-TURN award. This acronym, U-TURN, has the obvious meaning 
of changing direction. However, each letter in this award describes 
what has taken place on the police force; U, unique; T, techniques; U, 
used; R, restore; and N, nonviolence.
  The Baltimore City School Police have certainly responded to a 
problem

[[Page H616]]

in a manner deserving of recognition and praise. I applaud Chief Hamm 
and his force and look forward to a further reduction in crime and 
disruption in our schools.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I stand ready and pledge to do everything I 
can as a Member of this body to help the Baltimore City School Police 
force and other forces throughout the Nation to ensure that our 
children can safely prepare for their promising futures. As someone 
once said, our children are the living messages we send to a future we 
will never see. Congratulations, Chief Hamm, and congratulations to the 
Baltimore City School Police Force.

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