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…
Author: Bernie James
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 —…
Safety Law News for January 5, 2015
In Texas, training is ongoing to implement a new law that authorizes specially selected employees to be undercover, armed “School Marshals” on campus. In Canada, the number of police patrolling Toronto schools has decreased because of the budget difficulties, but…
Safety Law News for 12/22/14
School districts in Western New York will receive money in this year’s state budget to support new and existing school resource officer programs. About $1.9 million was allocated in the state’s budget for SRO funding statewide in the aftermath of…
Safety Law News for 12/16/14
Orange County, Florida Public Schools, the tenth largest school district in the U.S., has voted to establish its own school police force. The officers will have arrest powers and be allowed to carry weapons on school property. In Pennsylvania, York…
Safety Law News for 12/9/14
The Alabama State Department of Education has released the 2013 Annual School Incident Report. The report contains big data on student misconduct for all schools in the state. The school superintendent in Boston, Massachusetts has vetoed a plan to equip…
Safety Law News for 12/3/14
New Mexico Supreme Court rules that Juvenile Code 32A–2–14 provides children with greater statutory protection to remain silent than mandated by the federal or state constitutions. 32A–2–14 must be strictly construed and applied to confessions obtained by school officials who…
Safety Law News for 11/26/14
Federal court rules that a school resource officer did not violate the civil rights of a special education student when he arrested her, handcuffed her, and transported her to the juvenile detention center following an altercation in the classroom. [J.H.…
Safety Law News for 11/21/14
A School Safety Task Force will recommend that South Carolina schools practice more safety lock-down drills and have more School Resource Officers and more school psychologists. Police and school officials in Providence, Rhode Island have signed an inter-agency agreement on a…