• A new Report published by the U.S. Department of Justice details the results of five “listening sessions” with the leadership of rural law enforcement agencies in five states. The Report emphasizes lessons officers learn working in rural and remote places on community policing, school safety, and de-escalating incidents.
• In Kentucky, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council will give its approval to the Daviess County Public Schools to create its own law enforcement agency to provide school security. The special law enforcement officers will be Police Officer Professional Standards certified, will receive annual training required by the state and will have full law enforcement powers.
• In Mississippi, the board for the Houston School District approved a new protocol for students committing terroristic or threatening acts. According to the protocol, when the offense occurs, the student is immediately removed from student population and the SRO (School Resource Officer) or authorities are notified. The parents and the Intake Officer are notified immediately.
• In Rhode Island, the United States Court of Appeals held that explanations contained in school disciplinary records need not be detailed nor answer every issue raised by the student challenging the outcome. The court ruled that a short, well-reasoned explanation of the disciplinary decision will suffice. The school district’s decision to suspend a student for one day for fighting were not so insufficiently reasoned as to deny her procedural due process. (Zell v. Ricci)