School Safety In OUSD
Information Report
Presented by Nelson Alegria, Executive Director of Safety Misha Karigaca, Director Student Support & Safety
OUSD All City Council Sophie Mehouelley, Health and Wellness Director OUSD All City Council Eman Ibrahim, Culture and Climate Director 9/22/25
OUSD Safety Team
Eman Ibrahim,
Culture and Climate
Director
All City Council Student Safety
Leaders
Sophie Mehouelley,
Health and Wellness
Director
● Misha Karigaca, Director Student Support
& Safety
● Emily Zanoli, Prog Mgr Violence
Prevention
● Rebecca Littlejohn, Risk Management
Officer
● Vilma Bermudez, Emergency Preparedness
Manager
● Jules Milstead, Coordinator of Culture
Keepers & Ambassadors
Maximus Simmons,
Student Board
Director
Marianna Smith,
Student Board
Director
Guiding PrinciplesStudent Voice
● Safety Work in OUSD is grounded in
student voice
● Students define what safety feels
like on campus
● Their experiences guide decision on
programs, partnerships, and
policies.
● Our Student All City Council advises
and leads some of this work
Guiding Principles
4 Creating Joyful
Schools
Reimagining school to be
Places of Joy, Inclusion,
and Beauty
George Floyd Resolution
Eliminate the OSPD and develop
alternatives that reduce policing,
create positive relationships,
and support an anti-racist,
restorative culture.
Creation of the Village Response
Teams
Pillars of
School Safety
Facilities, School
Culture & Climate,
Emergency
Preparedness, Central
Support
Safety Supporting Roles
Site Safety Support Staff
Culture Keepers, Site based Culture & Climate Ambassadors, Central Culture & Climate Ambassadors
Site Based Culture Climate Staff
School Counselors, Targeted Strategies Staff, Restorative Justice Facilitators, Community School Managers, Social Workers / Clinicians
District Safety Support Departments
Behavioral Health, Community Schools, Student Support and Safety, Risk Management, Facilities, Communications
Minimizing Police Presence in OUSD
Reference Link: Admin Guide for Police Free Schools
Central OUSD Intake Line: Operates between
8am-6pm Monday through Friday
● Escalated issues on campus requiring
additional support
● Behavioral Health Crisis Support &
Consultation
● Reporting Law Enforcement on Campus
● Activating Central Response for Secure School,
Lockdown, ICE and other Emergencies
20242025
OUSD Intake Calls
OUSD & DVP
Violence Interrupter
Supports student
safety by identifying
conflicts, de-escalating
situations, mediating,
preventing retaliation,
connecting youth to
services, and training
staff on signs of
violence.
Life Coach
Provides case
management to
students who have
caused or been victims of
violence in order to help
them reduce high-risk
behaviors, improve
functioning, increase
motivation, and address
unhealthy beliefs.
Gender-Based
Violence Specialist
Provides intensive case
management and teaches
tangible skills and tools for
de-escalating interpersonal
conflicts, facilitating referrals to
external service providers,
developing and hosting support
groups for students who have
experienced GBV, and provides
professional development to
school administrators and staff to
help them identify instances of
sexual assault, dating violence,
and sexual exploitationVIOLENCE INTERVENTION & PREVENTION
PROGRAM (VIP)
Alternatives to Law Enforcement
Measuring School Safety
Data
● Suspensions
● Interventions
● Intake Calls
● Drills
Perception
● Student & Staff
Feedback
● Community voice
Pillars of
School
Safety
The Need For Deeper Partnerships
10 ● OUSD is a
Sanctuary School
District
● Commitment to
Protecting
Immigrant students
& families
● Unsafe
crossings
● Traffic hazards
near schools
● Safe passage
routes
Challenges Federal Immigration
Enforcement
Illegal Dumping &
Neighborhood
ConditionsStreet Safety
Impact on
School and
Students
● Unhoused
neighbors
● Illegal
Dumping
● Community
Violence
Looking Ahead
The feeling of a sense of belonging and
comfortness with my peers and staff
members, knowing that there are people who
care about me and are there to support me to
become a greater version of myself.
“
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Community Schools, Thriving Students
1000 Broadway, Suite 680, Oakland, CA 94607