School safety is near the top of every parent’s fundamental list of priorities for their child’s education. An app allowing students, community members, and the general public to report suspicious or concerning activities has attracted the opposition of an activist group in Los Angeles.
School officials, law enforcement, and civil liberties groups are at odds over balancing safety concerns with discrimination opponents of the app claim is inherent in unsubstantiated reports.
Introduction of the LASAR App

Over a year ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District adopted a technology called the Los Angeles Schools Anonymous Reporting app (LASAR) that allowed anyone to report incidents to the school police department anonymously. The intention in rolling out the app was to make campuses safer by using a “see something, say something” model that could not be traced back to the reporter, who may otherwise face retribution from named parties.
Criticism from Advocacy Groups

However, the app has drawn criticism from advocacy groups claiming that the app has ushered in a “culture of mass suspicion.”
Usage and Endorsement by School District

LASAR’s adoption in March 2020 has been primarily used for incidents of concern to community members that do not warrant an immediate emergency call to 9-1-1. The adoption of the app has been hailed as “critically important” for public safety by district Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Opposition from Advocacy Groups

The advocacy groups opposed to LASAR are the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition and a youth organization called Students Deserve. These groups claim that LASAR has led to outsized reporting of minorities and the mentally ill, as well as led to a more visible police presence on campus. This trend is concerning to students who might be disproportionately impacted by police attention.
Impact and Data on Reports

The Los Angeles Unified School District educates half a million students, and the LASAR app generated 227 reports in the first three months, according to the school district. The available data does not show how many reports resulted in officer interactions.
Public Information Requests and Lawsuits

The advocacy groups have filed requests for public information to find out more information regarding the content of the reports made through the app. The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition is suing to get a response to their records request. They want to know the number of reports filed, the types of reports made, and the content provided in each report.
Opposition organizer Matyos Kidane stated, “We’re trying to get records from this lawsuit to better understand what the harm will be. But our long-term goal is to discontinue this app.”
App Features and Public Safety Goals

The app displays the options to report vandalism and mental health crises. The public always maintains the right and ability to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency, but the app provides an alternative way to gather information and provide public safety information that may be critical but not presently active.
School District’s Position

Los Angeles Unified School District would not comment on pending litigation, but the Superintendent of schools has noted the critical nature of the technology infrastructure to ensure student safety in a variety of situations. Specifically, the district said that LASAR “aims to increase community-focused public safety in and around schools.”
Role of L.A. School Police Department

All reports on LASAR are evaluated by the L.A. School Police Department rather than the direct city police department. From the time of reporting, school police will “determine the necessary resource to dispatch,” if any. The app not only impacts students, but the area around schools, in case concerning activities or individuals are gathering or engaging in suspicious behaviors near school sites but not directly on campus.
Reporting Features and Additional Apps

The app allows reports to include photos and videos and provides geolocation information to direct law enforcement to specific addresses and locations. In addition to LASAR, the school district has another specialized app for employees that connects the staff to 9-1-1. This app was created with federal grant money.
Concerns from Advocacy Groups

Part of the concern of the advocacy groups is the performance of a similar Los Angeles Police Department program called iWatch that, when audited, found that the reports made on iWatch included a disproportionate number of reports on minorities. Activist organizer Kidane stated, “This app embodies behavioral surveillance. Behavioral surveillance is always a proxy for racial profiling.”
Alternative Safety Measures Proposed

As an alternative to law enforcement and surveillance being the first line of defense, according to Students Deserve activist Joseph Williams, the primary means to achieve public safety should be community-based. Along these lines, teacher Rigoberto Gandara said, “We have police on every corner. If policing were the solution to public safety, we would already be safe.”
Impact on Disabled Students

In addition to concerns that LASAR will impact minorities disproportionately, Disability Rights California activist Vanessa Ramos represents parents who are concerned about how the app’s law enforcement focus will impact their children with disabilities, neurodivergence, and mental illness. Ramos said, “Characteristics of a disability can be mischaracterized and misinterpreted. Someone could sound the alarm using this app, and the police could be involved.”