• UTAH COUNTY ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

     

    Policies and Procedures on

    Gang Prevention

    Policy JO

     

     

    The purpose of this policy is to comply with the requirements of Utah Administrative Code R277-436 and Utah Code §53A-15-603

     

    Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) personnel are concerned about at risk youth and are trained annually to recognize early warning signs for youth in trouble. Students will not be permitted to commit any act that furthers gangs or gang-related activities.

     

    A gang is any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal acts, or the purposeful violation of any UCAS policy, and may have a common name or common identifying sign, colors or symbols.

     

    1. School faculty and personnel shall report suspected gang activities relating to the school and its students to a school administrator.  The administrator is to report unlawful behavior to law enforcement. UCAS administration reports to Mountainland Technology College (MTECH) and/or Utah Valley University (UVU) and Orem City police departments.
    2. A student who participates in gang activities may be excluded from participation in extracurricular activities as determined by the school administration.
    3. Gang-related graffiti or damage to school property shall result in parent or guardian notification and appropriate administrative and law enforcement actions, which may include obtaining restitution from those responsible for the damage.
    4. If a serious gang-related incident, as determined by the school administrator in consultation with local law enforcement, occurs on school property, at school related activities, or on a site that is normally considered to be under school control, notification shall be provided to parents and guardians of students in the school:
      1. informing them, in general terms, about the incident, but removing all personally identifiable information about students from the notice;
      2. emphasizing the school's concern for safety;
      3. outlining the action taken at the school regarding the incident;
      4. placing student on a behavior contract which may result in revocation of UCAS tuition scholarship and/or removal from MTECH and/or UVU on campus courses.
    5. School faculty and personnel shall be trained by experienced evidence based trainers that may include community gang specialists and law enforcement as part of comprehensive strategies to recognize early warning signs for youth in trouble and help students resist serious involvement in undesirable activity, including joining gangs or mimicking gang behavior.
    6. Conduct prohibited by this policy includes:
      1. Wearing, possessing, using, distributing, displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry, emblems, badges, symbols, signs, visible tattoos and body markings, or other items, or being in possession of literature that shows affiliation with a gang, or is evidence of membership or affiliation in any gang or that promotes gang affiliation.
      2. Communicating either verbally, non-verbally and electronic means, (gestures, handshakes, slogans, drawings, marking school property, books, or school work with gang names, slogans, or signs etc.), to convey membership affiliation or that promotes gang affiliation.
      3. Tagging, or otherwise defacing school or personal property with gang or gang-related symbols or slogans.
      4. Requiring payment of protection, money or insurance, or otherwise intimidating or threatening any person related to gang activity.
      5. Inciting other students to intimidate or to act with physical violence upon any other person related to gang activity.
      6. Soliciting others for gang membership.
      7. Conspiring to commit any violation of this policy or committing or conspiring to commit any other illegal act or other violation of UCAS/MTECH/UVU policies that relates to gang activity.

     

    UCAS administrators have authority to identify student behavior as gang-related and may treat such designated behavior as imminently dangerous to students and staff.  All disciplinary acts will follow the Orderly and Safe Schools Policy JC as determined by the administration.

     

     

    Approved 05/2017

    Revised 8/2017

    Approved 9/2017

    Updated 10/2018