Safety Law News for January 18, 2017

  • In Rhode Island, the Pawtucket School and Police Departments have signed a new school safety interagency agreement.   Under the agreement, the principal will remain the primary administrator and disciplinarian and will not rely on the school resource officer for enforcement of minor disciplinary infractions.
  • In New York, state leaders are encouraging educators to develop district-wide overdose prevention policies.  The New York Department of Health has an overdose prevention training program that allows school personnel to administer the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone.  But just 55 school districts out of more than 700 statewide have signed up.
  • In New York, school officials in the Westchester and Putnam are schools are implementing an Anti-Bullying/Safety Reporting App.  The program allows students to let an adult know when they are being bullied or harassed online.
  • In Washington State, policymakers in the Yakima Valley have launched the School Safety Operations & Coordination Center. Sixteen school districts are linked to the Center.  Center staff have the capacity to remotely access and control school security cameras at certain buildings, lock and unlock doors and even control water and gas utility lines.