Phila. Public Schools Have New Chief of Security

A Philadelphia police inspector will take over security for the school district, after the abrupt resignation of the former schools security chief.
KYW's Pat Loeb reports Chief Inspector Myron Patterson will take over the $40 million office of school climate and safety. He'll remain on the police department payroll but report to Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, as well as a deputy chief.

School district spokesman Fernando Gallard says the superintendent hopes to see a greater drop in the number of violent incidents:

"We actually have had tremendous progress in reducing the serious, violent incidents in our schools and what Dr. Ackerman is requesting him to do is to take that reduction of 29 percent that has happened in the last two years and accelerate it."

There were more than 12,000 violent incidents reported in 2008-2009, the last year for which figures are available.

Patterson replaces James Golden who left the district, Wednesday, with no advance warning.