LA school police union backs parents’ push for more campus cops as bullying soars

Parents and police officials are urging Los Angeles schools to restore greatly reduced staffing levels of on-campus cops who were replaced by “climate coaches” — as new figures show reports of physical bullying have more than doubled.

The union representing Los Angeles School Police officers has thrown its weight behind furious parents’ demands to reinstate full-time cops on all campuses following the death of Xavier Nungaray-Martinez, 17, who jumped from a fourth-floor balcony at Franklin High School in Highland Park after a classroom fight caught on video.

The calls come five years after the LA Unified School District slashed $25 million from its school police budget — axing 133 positions, or 28% of the force — and redirecting money toward a $36.5 million Black Student Achievement Plan that included hiring “climate coaches” to help manage student behavior.

The LAUSD still has 262 sworn school officers, but they are assigned to patrol groups of schools, rather than stationed on individual campuses.

The district’s controversial February 2021 decision to reduce the staffing followed a campaign by activist groups, including Black Lives Matter and the California Association of Black School Educators, demanding an end to what they called the “criminalization and over-policing” of black students.

“Recent tragedies involving violence, self-harm and weapons on and around school campuses underscore the urgent need to strengthen — not diminish — our school safety resources,” Anthony Stafford, president of the Los Angeles School Police Management Association, told the California Post.

“We understand why parents are calling for greater police presence. Every family deserves the peace of mind that their child will return home safely at the end of each school day.”

On Sept. 30, Xavier jumped to his death amid claims he was bullied at school.

The LA County Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide, citing multiple blunt traumatic injuries to the head and torso.

But Xavier’s family said the teen was not suicidal and believe bullying played a role. Police have stated that they had not established a link between bullying and his death.

In LAUSD’s most recent student survey, 17% of students said they had been bullied — the highest level since the 2021-22 school year.

Reports of physical bullying, including shoving, hitting or kicking, jumped from 6% in 2024-25 to 15% in 2025-26, according to figures supplied to the California Post.

At Franklin High, 11% of students reported being bullied, including 8% of seniors. Among seniors, 5% reported physical bullying.

The district also recorded 5,636 fights and other acts of aggression during the 2024-25 school year, slightly below the 5,707 incidents recorded the year before, according to district data presented in November 2025.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

LAUSD did not respond to The Post’s request for updated figures. A spokesperson said the district remains “committed” to engaging with parents and students.

“Los Angeles Unified remains committed to engaging students, families, staff, and community partners as it addresses broader fiscal challenges while maintaining safe and supportive schools,” the spokesperson said.

“While the district has proposed further reductions as part of its fiscal stabilization efforts, decisions about specific positions, assignments and programs are developed through the district’s budget and operational planning process.”

Video of Xavier’s Sept. 30 confrontation shows another student striking Xavier inside a classroom as a teacher intervened.

Xavier subsequently went into a fourth-floor corridor, where he jumped from a railing.

The Los Angeles Police Department and school police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and charges have been filed.

His grieving family has launched a Change.org petition demanding tougher security, alleging he was assaulted without timely intervention from security staff and that students filmed both the attack and his fall.

The petition calls for campus police, security cameras, better-trained staff and safer railings.

“I don’t think no one in their right mind would jump off the fourth floor,” Xavier’s father, William Amaya, 40, told the California Post. “This would have been prevented if enforcement was on campus.”

Amaya, who also graduated from Franklin High School, said conditions had deteriorated since his time there in the early 2000s.

“Things are worse at Franklin now,” he said.

He recalled that at least two police officers were on duty at the school when he attended, breaking up fights, handcuffing students and enforcing discipline. He said that level of police presence needs to return.

“Right now it’s not just bring back the police, it’s bring back the police and have them be on campus every time our kids are on campus right now,” Xavier’s aunt, Stephanie Amaya, 37, told The Post.

Stafford said school police do far more than respond to emergencies — they also help prevent violence by mentoring students and intervening before trouble escalates.

The 2021 police cuts sparked fierce opposition at the time, with school police leaders warning the reductions would leave students and staff vulnerable.

“Make no mistake, this will impact student and staff safety,” Rob Taylor, then-president of the Los Angeles School Police Management Association, warned in February 2021.

“This is likely to create a liability for the district when the inevitable tragedy occurs that could have been prevented or mitigated.”

Supporters of the overhaul insisted they were responding to complaints from black students who felt unfairly targeted by school police.

Now the district is considering another round of cuts.

As part of a broader Fiscal Stabilization Plan, the LAUSD board is expected to vote on a proposed additional $3.5 million cut to the school police budget for fiscal year 2027-28 — with a potential $7 million reduction the following year.

“We are deeply concerned that LAUSD is considering further cuts to the Los Angeles School Police Department at a time when student safety has never been more critical,” Stafford said.

“We have not recovered from those cuts and now face even more cuts. Yet, the demand for our services has increased exponentially over the last 5-6 years — even as our resources (training, equipment, personnel) continue to be decreased.”

For Norma Chávez, a mother of two LAUSD students, Nungaray-Martinez’s death was the breaking point.“Police officers represent authority,” she said.

“They are reminders of what is not permissible. Most people behave better when they see an officer, even adults. I support campus police.

“There has definitely been more violence since school police were removed from campus. What is worse is that fights have become more dangerous because they involve knives and guns.”

Chávez also blasted the district for failing to consult parents before the original police cuts.

“We, the parents, did not vote to remove school police. We weren’t even asked,” Chávez said.

But not every parent organization believes bringing cops back is the answer.

“We understand why families are concerned about safety and why recent incidents may lead to calls for greater security,” said Nancy Villarreal, executive director of the Parent Organization Network, a public schools advocacy group.

“At the same time, PON does not believe that increasing police presence alone addresses the deeper issues affecting school safety.”

The group supports some security measures alongside greater investments in mental-health services, conflict resolution, parental involvement and student input.

“School safety is the foundation of student attendance, achievement, and success,” Stafford added. “Cutting the very personnel and programs designed to protect our children is an unnecessary and preventable risk we simply cannot afford to take.”