The Region - News from Oct. 23, 1986

Reports of crimes involving students rose 29% in the Los Angeles school district in 1985-86, with the steepest increases in the assault and sex offense categories, according to a recently released annual report by school district police. The report showed an increase in nine crime categories--including robbery, assault, sex offenses, burglary, theft, arson, vandalism and loitering. But Associate Supt. Jerry Halverson said the 29% overall rise was largely the result of an abnormally high level of child-abuse reporting, which he said probably was prompted by the publicity surrounding the recent cases of a Los Angeles teacher convicted of molesting students and of the school district administrator who was charged with failing to promptly report the allegations to the police.