Nebo School District leaders and Spanish Fork police officials are ganging up to prevent future gang-related and other violent activities.
Members of the Nebo School Board recently passed a new Safe Schools policy, which prohibits "acts of violence, use or possession of a weapon, criminal behavior or gang activity" in or about the district's schools, school grounds or school activities.Officials define a gang as a group of two or more people who have an allegiance and engage in gang activities. Gang activities, as defined by the policy, are disruptive behaviors that may be violent, unlawful or advocate hatred or discrimination.
The policy includes provisions to suspend any students involved in such activities for up to 10 school days because they represent "a threat to the health and/or safety of students and employees," according to Nebo Superintendent Denis Poulsen.
However, while the policy is meant to deter violent activities, the district will not use it to discriminate against students. In fact, Poulsen said it will not penalize special education students whose misconduct may be a manifestation of their disabilities.
At the same time as the district passed that policy, Nebo district and other local officials also gave the Spanish Fork Police Department power to enforce it.
Members of the Spanish Fork City Council passed an ordinance that will allow Spanish Fork officers to enforce traffic, parking and curfew regulations at the city's high school and Spanish Fork Intermediate School.
In particular, the ordinance toughens a current curfew, which makes it a Class C misdemeanor for school-age youths to loiter or remain on any sidewalk, street, alley or public place in the city from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. unless they are accompanied by an adult.
That curfew had only applied to youths up to age 15 but now includes those restrictions for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds as well.
In addition, the city has several noise and parking ordinances in place to discourage "cruising" on Spanish Fork's Main Street, and Spanish Fork Police Chief Dee Rosenbaum said he believes those will also help discourage gang activity.