Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Safety concerns continue over 'Kia Boyz' incidents in Tacoma
4 views
Skip to first unread message
Leroy N. Soetoro
Dec 5, 2023, 1:52:19 PM12/5/23
to
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/safety-concerns-kia-boyz-tacoma-
hilltop-heritage-middle-school/281-16ceaa24-710e-496d-a269-05777c29a7d8
TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma mother says she is pulling her son out of public
school and enrolling him online due to safety concerns connected to the
Kia Boyz.
The group made up of kids and young adults has been stealing cars and
threatening people with guns in Tacoma, including several times this
school year at Hilltop Heritage Middle School.
Most recently, the school had to be locked down twice in one after the
group came to the school and drove recklessly outside. Tacoma police said
the Kia Boyz pointed a gun and threatened to shoot a Tacoma Public Schools
patrol officer.
“These children are being traumatized by having to deal with this,” said
Jami Visaya, whose son had attended Hilltop Heritage.
Visaya said these young people need to be held accountable as the group is
causing major safety concerns.
“Has law enforcement done enough? No, absolutely not,” said Visaya.
“Because these are minor children in stolen cars stating their names on
social media and pretty much asking to be caught and they're not stopped.”
Visaya worries about what could happen if the group is not stopped.
“Accidents and, God forbid, deaths happen all the time, and I feel like
it's just a matter of time,” said Visaya.
That’s why, this past Monday, she decided to pull her son from Hilltop
Heritage and switch him to online school, where he will start in just a
few days.
“I decided to do this last week because of the extremely unsafe situation
at Hilltop Heritage right now,” said Visaya.
She said there are other parents making this choice, too, due to safety
concerns.
“So, I actually met another mother who her daughter is a sixth grader at
Hilltop Heritage, and she was doing the same thing,” said Visaya.
KING 5 reached out to Tacoma Public Schools about parents going to these
lengths to keep their kids safe. The district sent the following
statement:
“Parents are the primary caregivers of their children. We respect the
complexities of that role and support families in making decisions that
are best for their children. We offer many types of school environments
because we understand a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn’t
work for all families
We partner with families and we take the safety of their children and the
adults we hire to educate and support them very seriously. Creating safe
and enriching school environments is a critical part of the learning
process. And while we cannot control what happens outside of our school
walls, we can do our very best every day to maintain safety inside. Our
educators are highly trained, skilled, and dedicated to our students
Sometimes activities outside our buildings impact our schools, which is
why our partnership with Tacoma Police Department is so important. When a
situation warrants school staff call TPD, they respond and investigate
crimes. As part of our See Something, Say Something partnership, the
Tacoma Police Department has committed to immediately following up on any
reports of threats against any of our schools. We encourage anyone who
sees or hears a threat to a school to call 9-1-1. Keeping our schools and
community safe takes all of us working together.
The incidents of car theft and erratic driving are not isolated to Hilltop
Heritage. They are occurring throughout our community, our county, and
even other states as a result of a social media trend. Tacoma Public
Schools is committed to working with families and our community to lessen
the effects of this trend and support young people so they can continue to
learn and thrive.”
Visaya said she doesn’t blame the school district and feels like the
district’s hands are tied, but said something needs to be done.
“We have just as much right as any neighborhood or any city to have our
students go to school and learn and to be free from the fear of being
shot,” said Visaya.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
hilltop-heritage-middle-school/281-16ceaa24-710e-496d-a269-05777c29a7d8
TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma mother says she is pulling her son out of public
school and enrolling him online due to safety concerns connected to the
Kia Boyz.
The group made up of kids and young adults has been stealing cars and
threatening people with guns in Tacoma, including several times this
school year at Hilltop Heritage Middle School.
Most recently, the school had to be locked down twice in one after the
group came to the school and drove recklessly outside. Tacoma police said
the Kia Boyz pointed a gun and threatened to shoot a Tacoma Public Schools
patrol officer.
“These children are being traumatized by having to deal with this,” said
Jami Visaya, whose son had attended Hilltop Heritage.
Visaya said these young people need to be held accountable as the group is
causing major safety concerns.
“Has law enforcement done enough? No, absolutely not,” said Visaya.
“Because these are minor children in stolen cars stating their names on
social media and pretty much asking to be caught and they're not stopped.”
Visaya worries about what could happen if the group is not stopped.
“Accidents and, God forbid, deaths happen all the time, and I feel like
it's just a matter of time,” said Visaya.
That’s why, this past Monday, she decided to pull her son from Hilltop
Heritage and switch him to online school, where he will start in just a
few days.
“I decided to do this last week because of the extremely unsafe situation
at Hilltop Heritage right now,” said Visaya.
She said there are other parents making this choice, too, due to safety
concerns.
“So, I actually met another mother who her daughter is a sixth grader at
Hilltop Heritage, and she was doing the same thing,” said Visaya.
KING 5 reached out to Tacoma Public Schools about parents going to these
lengths to keep their kids safe. The district sent the following
statement:
“Parents are the primary caregivers of their children. We respect the
complexities of that role and support families in making decisions that
are best for their children. We offer many types of school environments
because we understand a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn’t
work for all families
We partner with families and we take the safety of their children and the
adults we hire to educate and support them very seriously. Creating safe
and enriching school environments is a critical part of the learning
process. And while we cannot control what happens outside of our school
walls, we can do our very best every day to maintain safety inside. Our
educators are highly trained, skilled, and dedicated to our students
Sometimes activities outside our buildings impact our schools, which is
why our partnership with Tacoma Police Department is so important. When a
situation warrants school staff call TPD, they respond and investigate
crimes. As part of our See Something, Say Something partnership, the
Tacoma Police Department has committed to immediately following up on any
reports of threats against any of our schools. We encourage anyone who
sees or hears a threat to a school to call 9-1-1. Keeping our schools and
community safe takes all of us working together.
The incidents of car theft and erratic driving are not isolated to Hilltop
Heritage. They are occurring throughout our community, our county, and
even other states as a result of a social media trend. Tacoma Public
Schools is committed to working with families and our community to lessen
the effects of this trend and support young people so they can continue to
learn and thrive.”
Visaya said she doesn’t blame the school district and feels like the
district’s hands are tied, but said something needs to be done.
“We have just as much right as any neighborhood or any city to have our
students go to school and learn and to be free from the fear of being
shot,” said Visaya.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
0 new messages