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Russell's Bio | email November 2009
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Eugene Jones III says he was knocked out today when another student at Hazelwood West High School punched him in the face. The punch injured his eye and fractured his nose. His cheek is swollen too. The student who hit him was arrested and will be suspended for at least ten days. The suspect could be expelled.
We were only able to confirm small parts of the story told by seventeen year old Eugene and his mother Tina Ivory-Dixon. The Hazelwood School District would not respond to questions about allegations of threats and bullying against Eugene and his sister Leslie. The district wouldn't confirm Mrs. Dixon's story that she had repeatedly complained about bullies tormenting her children, and that the district had done little about it. A district spokeswoman released the following statement: "This morning at Hazelwood West High School, one student hit another student in the face. As with any altercation, school officials responded immediately and in accordance with the HSD Student-Parent Handbook and Behavior Guide. This is an unfortunate incident and this behavior will not be tolerated. The student who hit the other student was arrested and suspended in accordance with the Behavior Guide. Any further information about the educational files or discipline records of students is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)." Stories involving the rights of children, especially when they are a patient or student, are challenging because it's so difficult to confirm some allegations. In this report we gave the family and the school district a fair opportunity to address the incident. It's unclear what the district knows and has done about any bullying that may have happened to Mrs. Dixon's children. However, it appears that the suspect in today's assault was handled according to district policy, and that he could be thrown out of school for the attack.
The Kinloch, Missouri police department recently laid off four officers, which represents half the force. The steep cuts stunned the terminated cops who believe residents will not be adequately protected by the much smaller department.
In response, each of the officers volunteered to work a twelve hour shift without pay every week just to make sure the community has at least one cop on duty around the clock. Mayor Keith Conway insists the cuts were needed and will not put public safety at risk. Kinloch has a rich history, but many people blame its recent demise on the airport expansion. In the 1980s, Lambert Airport purchased most of the city's private homes. Three out of four Kinloch residents moved out of town. The 2000 census estimated there were only 449 people living in Kinloch. The lost residents and tax revenue, but it gained a reputation as a haven for gangs and violent crime, which makes the recent cuts harder for the officers, and many residents to accept. Kinloch's mayor hopes new development in the area will help turn things around. The city, along with St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis, Berkeley and Ferguson are all part of a massive redevelopment plan that is expected to create thousands of jobs and build office and retail space throughout the area. NorthPark Partners, the project developer, plan to donate a new civic center to Kinloch. So, there is potential for a rebirth of Kinloch, at least a partial rejuvination. But, for now, the small pocket of poverty is showing signs that its problems are getting worse.
Here are some important crime prevention tips:
Of course the way to solve this crime is simple, put a lock on the locker. Many gyms sell locks or have the coin operated lockers like you find at swimming pools. Some customers think it's unnecessary to lock up their stuff, if they leave their valuables in the car. But if the crooks can get to your keys, they can get to you wallet.
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