School Safety Law Blog – Page 74 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for April 13, 2018

by Bernie James • April 13, 2018

Across the United States, less than two months since the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, at least 10 U.S. states have proposed spending significantly more to bolster school safety.

In Louisiana, the Livingston Parish Sheriff is proposing to the Livingston Parish School Board a half-cent sales tax increase to fund a school resource officer for each parish school. It would take nearly 50 school resource officers at a cost of $111,000 per officer to train, outfit and equip.

In Florida, the Broward County School Board, which oversees the high school where a gunman massacred 17 people in February, has rejected its share of new state funding to be used for arming teachers.

In Maryland, the Governor signed into law SB 1226. The new law mandates that schools have either resource officers or adequate law enforcement coverage. It also requires local school systems to conduct comprehensive safety evaluations of their facilities, including developing an emergency plan. Schools must ensure safety personnel are properly equipped and trained. School systems must designate a state-certified security administrator to oversee the plan. The law requires schools to create a multi-discipline threat-assessment team and designate a mental health services coordinator.

by Bernie James • April 10, 2018

In South Carolina, the Oconee County Sheriff presented a campus safety proposal to the School District of Oconee County Board that would arm as many as 50 school employees. Under the policy, the focus will be on arming principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, athletic directors, and other non-faculty personnel.

In Idaho, the Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction is launching a school safety initiative dubbed KISS: Keep Idaho Students Safe. The $20.8 million plan would fund more school resource officers and pay for the state to develop a teacher safety course and statewide crisis counseling program. An on-line survey is being used to receive comments from Idahoans.

In New Mexico, the Las Cruces Public School Board is being asked to modify the policy that allows district employees to apply to carry concealed weapons on school grounds. The changes would add rigor to the process of vetting requests by school personnel.

In Virginia, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors is considering a plan to use retired police officers for security at its grade schools. The officials expect that using retired officers would cost about half as much as full-fledged school resource officers.

by Bernie James • April 6, 2018

In Florida, the Alachua City Commission has approved funds to upgrade the firearms used by its school resource officers. The Sig Sauer MCX rifle had been selected as most suitable for the school environment. The new rifles will be in the officers’ possession at all times.

In Maryland, the Senate passed SB 1226, a measure to improve school safety. The proposal was sent to the House of Representatives for its consideration. Under the legislation, all public schools would be required to have a school resource officer or demonstrate plans for coverage from law enforcement by the start of the next school year. If enacted, the law would take effect on July 1, 2018.

In Iowa, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a high school teacher for sexual exploitation under Iowa Code Ann. § 709.15(3)(a)(2). The court reasoned that substantial evidence established that the teacher (1) sent messages that encouraged the student to enter into an intimate relationship and (2) hugged the student for his own sexual gratification within the meaning of the criminal statute. [State v. Wickes]

In Alabama, officials of the schools in Guntersville are enacting a new policy to put a full-time officer at every school and to upgrade campus video cameras.

by Bernie James • April 3, 2018

In Wisconsin, the Eau Claire school board unanimously passed revisions to its new policy regarding school resource officers, which now includes a clause that declares a commitment to anti-racism both from officers and the district.

In Maryland, Harford County schools will receive $1.2 million in new school safety funding. $773,000 will be dedicated to expanding the school resource officers program into its middle schools.

In Florida, officials in the Broward County Public School district are implementing new student safety procedures at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the shooting rampage in February 2018, the new policy requires student to wear an ID badge at all times. Students were also given clear backpacks.

In Arkansas, the Little Rock School District is planning to train a combination of administrators, guards, and staff to carry weapons. The training includes 60 hours of initial training as well as additional training over time.

by Bernie James • March 28, 2018

In Texas, the Fort Worth Independent School District has granted the Fort Worth Police Department access to school video in real time whenever police deem it necessary. School resource officers already have access and now Fort Worth Police will have access. Any video images can be transmitted to patrol officers on the street.

In Arizona, the City of Glendale announced Friday that effective immediately, all high schools will have a dedicated police officer on campus. The city is home to nine different public high school campuses that belong to four separate school districts.

In New York, four school districts in Washington County have committed to putting armed police officers in their schools through a new school resource officer program that the County Sheriff’s Office plans to create in the coming months.

In Maryland, the Howard County Police Department has implemented a new policy to improve school safety. Police officers will begin making regular foot patrols inside every elementary school, middle school, high school, and private school.

by Bernie James • March 23, 2018

In Florida, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is shifting patrol and staffing assignments in order to increase its presence at Lee County Schools. It will designate at least 40 additional officers as SROs and shift an additional 100 officers to every county school.

In Indiana, the United States District Court, upheld the search of an alternative school student’s car parked off school grounds. The court reasoned (1) that the physical location of the property in relation to school grounds is but one factor to be considered in measuring reasonable suspicion under T.L.O., and (2) alternative schools have an even greater need to maintain discipline and safety for the protection of students and staff, and create a healthy learning environment, than regular public schools based on the nature of their student population. [Kissinger v. Fort Wayne Community Schools]

In Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that a school district had reasonable suspicion to compel a urinalysis drug test from middle school teacher to justify termination for immoral conduct under the Public School Code. [Metz v. Bethlehem Area School District]

In Tennessee, the Rhea County School Board, along with the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department, signed a letter addressed to the Rhea County Commission requesting the hiring of four additional school resource officers in order to increase safety at county schools.