Author: Bernie James

Safety Law News for March 10, 2015

In Richmond, Virginia, officials have declared Martin Luther King Middle School a hostile environment for teachers. Last year the school had 1635 disorderly or disruptive behavior offenses. Lack of order and discipline are said by one volunteer to be the…

Safety Law News for March 5, 2015

In Rowan County, North Carolina, the average rate of crime or violence per 100 students in public schools is the lowest the rate recorded since 2010. School officials are attributing the safe climate to having a school resource officer on…

Safety Law News for February 20, 2015

In North Carolina, an annual study consistently finds that wealthier counties are able to spend more on the needs of schools because of the manner in which the state distributes funding.  The study concludes that students living in poorer counties…

Safety Law News for February 17, 2015

Five of Idaho’s universities and community colleges have spent more than $1.5 million to beef up security after the law allowing concealed weapons on campuses was approved, and the schools expect total costs to top $3.7 million for the year.…

Safety Law News for February 10, 2015

In Arizona, a recent study found that more than 80 percent of playgrounds in Tucson’s largest school district have dangerous conditions. This comes after the school district’s settlement offer to pay $175,000 to the family of a student injured at school,…

Safety Law News for February 3, 2015

In Houston, Texas, students at Jack Yates Senior High School say their campus is not safe and felt compelled to do something. So they staged a walkout to emphasize their request for two additional police officers on the campus. In…

Safety Law for January 27, 2015

In Colorado, one year after the legalization of marijuana, the number of marijuana-related arrests in Denver public schools has grown by 6 percent. Washington, D.C.-area public school districts utilize more than 30,000 surveillance cameras inside school buildings to monitor school…

Safety Law News for January 22, 2015

The Snohomish, Washington School District has revised its school safety plan after the fatal shootings last year. It has developed close relationships with police, fire, and health agencies, as well as local FEMA around seven (7) key safety strategies. $45…

Safety Law News for January 16, 2015

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled that use of twist-lock by an SRO to arrest a nine-year-old student who was accused of stealing school property did not violate the Fourth Amendment prohibition of excessive force. [Hawker…

Safety Law News for January 13, 2015

In Pennsylvania, the Luzerne County Public Schools reported a combined 1,146 offenses in 2010. Last year it was 584, and this year 565. Officials credit the decline to the decision to hire a full complement of School Police Officers —…