Author: Bernie James

Safety Law News for December 12, 2018

In Congress, the House of Representatives has introduced H.R.7209 – “The School Resource Officer Act of 2018.” The bill would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and reauthorize the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing…

Safety Law News for November 27, 2018

In Delaware, the Delaware State Education Association believes the number of incidents of violence against teachers is growing. According to the National Center for Education, public school teachers reporting being physically attacked by a student in 2015–16 topped all previous…

Safety Law News for November 8, 2018

In Wisconsin, officials in Racine sent a letter to parents and guardians to warn about the severe repercussions of directing threats about the schools on social media. The letter promises to investigate any ominous messages thoroughly and describes the range…

Safety Law News for November 6, 2018

In Pennsylvania, the Tamaqua Area School Board unanimously approved a policy that would allow teachers, administrators and other staff to carry a firearm in school.  Tamaqua has never had a uniformed officer. School officials believe arming staff is a better…

Safety Law News for November 1, 2018

In North Carolina, officials at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced that it would require around $688 million more in state funding to hire enough additional nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists and school resource officers to reach nationally…

Safety Law News for October 24 2018

In Virginia, the Fauquier County School Board voted unanimously to allow school security officers to carry guns. Virginia law allows school boards to hire armed civilian security guards as long as they are retired law-enforcement officers or have at least…

Safety Law News for October 16th

In Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals held that a student, who was called by the school principal to the principal’s office, was not in “custody” when he admitted to choking student, and thus, a police officer was not required…

Safety Law News for October 12, 2018

In Virginia, the school safety task force for the Chesterfield County Public Schools has proposed placing officers in all schools in the county, increasing funding for mental health staff, and the distribution of annual transparency reports from both police and…

Safety Law News for October 10, 2018

In Arkansas, the Governor tasked the Arkansas School Safety Commission to produce two reports — the first due July 1 and the second Nov. 30 — to look at mental health, school security plans, and how schools partner with local…

Safety News for October 4th, 2018

In Illinois, a school superintendent in Hutsonville went through nine months of police academy training to become a law enforcement officer so she could carry a concealed weapon at school and respond to an active shooter if necessary — something…