• In California, state officials are acknowledging that the 30-year drop in juvenile arrests is making it necessary to lower funding for juvenile halls and camps that are no longer needed. In California, the number of juvenile arrests dropped even as the population grew. Youth arrests for violent felonies in the state dropped 68 percent — from 22,601 in 1994 to 7,291 in 2017. Arrests for homicides dropped 83 percent — from 382 in 1995 to 63 in 2017. A Report by the U.S. Department of Justice confirms a similar national trend.
• In Florida, officials in Orange County will fund an additional $1.9 million to hire more school resource officers. This will bring the total number to 155 SROs deployed to 121 schools. The decision is in response to a 2019 state law that requires the “bell-to-bell” presence of an armed law enforcement officer on every campus.
• In Wyoming, officials in Wyoming County Schools are introducing Prevention Resource Officers into their high schools. The officers provide education, safety and support for students, and are available to help them with any problems or conflicts.
• In Virginia, House Bills 1493 and 1495 are being debated by the legislature. If enacted, retired law enforcement officers will be allowed to continue to receive vested service retirement allowances during a subsequent period of employment as a school resource officer or school security officer.