SCHOOL PERV ALARM (Sex-crime busts skyrocket by 30 percent)

PFMLIT General, SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS IN POSITIONS OF TRUST, STATISTICS ON SEX ABUSE, STATISTICS VICTIM, TEACHERS SCHOOL STAFF

The number of school employees arrested for sex crimes jumped 30 percent last year, even as overall arrests were dropping.  According to new statistics obtained by The Post, 1,340 school workers -- 344 teachers, 198 janitors, 149 teaching assistants, 114 school aides, 43 bus drivers and even 25 school safety staffers -- were arrested for a range of crimes in 2001.  That's down 8 percent from the 1,450 arrests in 2001.  Arrests for sexual abuse jumped from 30 in 2001 to 39 last year, an increase of 30 percent.