School Safety Law Blog – Page 112 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for 5/12/14

by Bernie James • May 12, 2014

Indiana has enacted a law that allows firearms in locked vehicles on school grounds. Beginning July 1, having a gun in a school parking lot will no longer be a felony. See Senate Enrolled Act 229.

The N.C. General Assembly has enacted a law that requires every public school to have a panic alarm system installed. The alarms won’t replace school resource officers.

Public outcry has prompted reversal in the decision to remove two of the three school resource officers in Brewton City, Alabama Schools. Officials say the SROs will remain in school through the end of the school year and will return to their schools in the fall.

The Indiana legislature has upgraded the qualifications for persons desiring to be a school resource officer. Under the law, a school resource must be: (1) employed by a law enforcement agency; (2) appointed as a police reserve officer or special deputy; or employed as a school corporation police officer. See Senate Bill 85.

Safety Law News for 5/5/14

by Bernie James • May 5, 2014

The Meramec Valley, Missouri School District is color-coding school halls with a map and placard system that enables first responders to identify hall colors from outside the building so they can quickly get to any problem spot.

Officials in Calgary, Alberta, Canada are implementing the “Youth Resource Officer Program.” The collaborative program brings teachers and police officers together in junior high schools with a curriculum that teaches lessons on staying safe, making good decisions, fostering healthy relationships, and promoting pro-social and positive behaviors.

School officials in Merced County, California report that the agreement with the sheriff’s department to provide a school resource officer for an elementary school is making an immediate, noticeable impact on campus.

In Rice County, Minnesota, officials in Northfield High School have implemented the “It Can Wait” campaign to the students and community with the goal of getting pledges to not text and drive. The junior and senior classes are competing to see who can get the most pledges to not text and drive. The school resource officer is leading the program.

Safety Law News for 4/28/14

by Bernie James • April 28, 2014

A school resource officer is credited in resolving an active shooter lockdown at the Jefferson County Learning Center in Alabama.

Officials in Jackson County, Mississippi have reached an interagency agreement under which the school district will pay the salaries of school resource officers and the sheriff’s department will pay for training, vehicles, and equipment.

Bay City, Florida school officials have launched a volunteer School Resource Officers program. Four officers will rotate around to all of the county’s 18 elementary schools.

25 volunteer reserve sheriff’s deputies have started patrolling elementary schools in Larimer County, Colorado starting in late April under what is being called the Thompson School District Marshal Program.

Safety Law News for 4/21/14

by Bernie James • April 21, 2014

In North Carolina, the Rowan-Salisbury Schools introduced new school resource officers for each of the county’s middle schools to an immediate positive impact. Educators say while safety is a big part of it, there is more that a resource officer can provide.

In the Florida legislature a House committee has approved a bill that would allow trained officials to carry firearms in schools as a way to improve safety. Under the plan, only former or current law enforcement officers or military would be eligible.

In Oklahoma, the Stillwater Public Schools listened to the community, met with the city of Stillwater on Thursday and came to an agreement to reverse a prior decision to terminate the school resource officers program.

In Washington State, a jury has decided the Snohomish School District must pay $1.3 million for its negligence in failing to protect two Snohomish High School girls from being stabbed.

Safety Law News 4/11/14

by Bernie James • April 11, 2014

Firearms training for Spokane, Washington Public Schools’ resource officers is not enough. The 14 commissioned school resource officers who are certified and trained by the Spokane Police Department will be required to become Spokane Police Department reserve officers, too.

Florida Senate Bill 968 has died in committee. The legislation that would have allowed school superintendents or principals to appoint staff or volunteers to carry concealed weapons on campuses is dead.

A Richland County, South Carolina school resource officer expanded his mentorship role in the area schools by creating and providing leadership for the student-sponsored school district chess club.

Thanks to a grant from the North Carolina General Assembly, all of Rowan-Salisbury’s middle schools have a school resource officer again. The $7 million grant provides funding for school resource officers in elementary and middle schools throughout the state.

Safety Law News for 4/7/14

by Bernie James • April 7, 2014

Colquitt County, Georgia educators and law enforcement conduct campus sweeps for drugs several times each school year, using dogs to check out lockers and cars at the schools.

Baltimore County, Maryland officials unveiled a $3.7 million in school security system, including a “OneView” camera system that will make security footage available in real time to county police as well as to the county schools’ Department of School Safety and Security.

School resource officers in Fairfax County, Virginia are now receiving suicide awareness and intervention training. The goal is to improve inter-agency collaboration with school officials, social workers, and counselors as they identify kids in crisis and provide them with meaningful intervention.

A federal court panel rules that a school resource officer who used chemical spray on a high school student a second time, when she was allegedly incapacitated, non-resistant, and writhing in pain on the ground, was not entitled to qualified immunity against a claim of unreasonable force, even if the first use of chemical spray was reasonable due to the student’s resistance. [J.W. ex rel. Williams v. Roper].

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