JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The same grand jury that issued the 122-page report on the Broward County School Board following the Parkland massacre also examined security issues in the Duval County School District and found that former District Police Chief Micheal Edwards instituted a system of non-reporting crimes in schools during his tenure. More than 2,000 alleged crimes were investigated and it was found that more than 500 were not reported, the new grand jury report concluded.
READ: Full grand jury report detailing actions of former DCPS police chief
The grand jury’s final report was issued in January of 2021 but it was just unsealed Friday.
The grand jury found Edwards systematically told officers not to file reports on crimes, and on several occasions, to “un-arrest” students.
The grand jury mentioned the murder of a student outside a Raines High School football game and said that Edwards told officers not to eject the student from the game, but to let him stay, and the trouble escalated between him and Robert Howard, who was the shooter. Howard pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May.
In another incident, a parent reported seeing a student place what appeared to be a handgun in a backpack on school grounds. Edwards blocked the imposition of a lockdown so parents wouldn’t be alarmed, according to the report.
RELATED: Grand jury blasts Duval County School Police crime reporting as ‘chicanery’
The grand jury called Edwards’ actions “overt fraud,” and said, “This conduct is not simply irresponsible, it is absolutely criminal.”
The grand jury felt there was sufficient probable cause to indict Edwards, but opted not to for procedural reasons, citing a “quirk in Florida law.”
MORE: Grand jury wants school board members removed over Parkland massacre
Edwards resigned shortly after the first grand jury report was issued.
Gregory Burton has since taken over as Chief of School Police.