Ex-cons guarding schools in D.C.

The Metropolitan Police Department has licensed private security officers in the D.C. public school system despite past arrests on charges of assault, cocaine possession and passing counterfeit money, according to a draft report by the D.C. inspector general.

“There are contracted security personnel working in [public schools] who may pose a risk to the secure environment of students and staff,” the draft document states.

“There is no assurance that all contracted school security personnel possess the requisite skills to ensure the safety and security of … students and faculty,” according to the report, which has not yet been finalized.

The Washington Times has obtained a copy of the draft.

The Inspector General’s Office refused to comment on the audit yesterday, saying its policy does not permit officials to discuss draft reports.

“When we issue a draft, it is only for the limited purpose for the recipients to respond to us, and we cannot comment on the report until responses are received and the final report is issued,” interim Inspector General Austin A. Andersen said.

Lt. Jon Shelton, who heads the police department’s security-officer management branch, said yesterday that the recent transfer of oversight of the security contract from schools to police has resulted in more scrutiny of officers hired to work in the schools.

“Nobody goes into the school unless I know they’re going into the schools,” he said.

D.C. school officials yesterday referred all questions to the police department.

Because it is a draft report, the audit contains conclusions that could change based on responses from the D.C. public school system and the Metropolitan Police Department.

But preliminary findings have exposed a breakdown in communications among police and school and security company officials.

According to the report, the inspector general researched the backgrounds of 30 security officers randomly selected from among 400 working in the school system for Watkins Security Agency of D.C. Inc. last school year.

Eight of those 30 officers, whose names were not released, had criminal histories, including four who did not make any mention of their arrest records on affidavits and employment documents, the report shows.

One security officer had been arrested four times: twice for distributing counterfeit money, once as a fugitive in connection with a previous arrest and another time for simple assault. That officer was convicted for delivering counterfeit money, a felony, in November 1998.

“Although MPD had access to applicants’ criminal background histories during the pre-employment process, MPD did not share this with [D.C. Public Schools] or the contractor,” the report stated.

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