Police, Pastors to Keep the Peace on Last Day of School

Officers, pastors prepare to quell fights for fourth year in a row

City, public transportation and school police will again be on patrol with area pastors on the last day of school to deter fights.

"Get out of school, go home, and also don't support people who fight," said the Rev. Ronald Wright with Justice Seekers Texas. "Go home, because you may very well be in trouble yourself watching a fight."

For the fourth year in a row, Dallas police, Dallas Independent School District police, Dallas Area Rapid Transit police and pastors will be around schools and DART stations on DISD's last day of school, which is Tuesday.

"We have really stopped a lot," DISD police Sgt. Vince Remediz said. "There's less fights and less fights and, if they fight, it's somewhere off in the neighborhood away from where we are."

Previously, middle and school students were known to settle old scores on the last day of school.

Community organizer Ali Amiri said kids get caught up in fights trying to impress their peers.

"Maybe there's a girl out there [and you're] trying to get her digits or something," Amiri said. "But in all honesty, you're not going to be impressing anybody once you've got that record."

John Wayne Ellis II said he planned to avoid the DART stop at Keist Boulevard and Lancaster Road next Monday and Tuesday because of potential end-of-school shenanigans but said he wasn't worried anymore after hearing about the planned police presence.

"That way, I know I can get in and take care of my business and get out without getting in any trouble, because I hate to see stuff like that happen," he said.

Police said there would be zero tolerance for fighting. Anyone caught fighting around a DART station or at school will be arrested, they said.

Contact Us