Safety Law News for 4/10/13

• NC legislative committee approves school safety bill that sets aside $30 million over two years for matching grants so local school districts can hire more school police officers, counselors and psychologists.

• In the details of a survey of Iowa schools, only 16% of the public school districts (54 out of 348) have a police officer or private security guard stationed at one or more of their schools.

• Des Moines, Iowa Police Chief Judy Bradshaw believes that students, staff and parents know that school resource officers help resolve conflicts before they escalate. SROs also help build positive relationships between students and the police force.

• North Carolina’s legislature has introduced H452, a bill that provides funding for local school districts to add School Resource Officers (SROs) and support staff, including school counselors, social workers and psychologists. The bill also requires school districts to take specific steps to respond effectively to a future crisis.