School safety a top federal government security concern

Nov 1, 1998 12:00 PM, George Partington

During last school year, public schools in Jonesboro, Ark.; Paducah, Ky.; Pearl, Miss.; and Springfield, Ore. were sites of attacks from students wielding guns. Twelve were killed; others were injured. An estimated 10 percent of schools experience serious crime, according to the White House, and last school year, 57 percent of schools experienced moderate-to-serious discipline problems. Consequently, school safety has become a top federal government security concern. School security also concerns the public according to a recent survey, noted President Clinton at a White House conference on school safety Oct. 15. The president announced a plan to use $60 million to hire 2,000 community police and school officers to work in schools with serious crime problems. Local police departments will receive up to $125,000 per officer for three years. Additionally, the initiative will dedicate $5 million to train new police officers, and to train educators and other community members to help recognize the early warning signs of school violence. The program to increase police presence, part of the 1994 Crime Bill, has a goal of hiring 100,000 new police officers throughout the United States. President Clinton has also proposed $12 million for School Emergency Response to Violence - or Project SERV - to help schools and communities respond to school-related violent deaths. Developed with community input, Project SERV will enable the federal government to assist communities in much the same way the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) responds to natural disasters. In the aftermath of the 1997-98 shootings, the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services worked closely with officials from Pearl, Paducah, Jonesboro and Springfield, providing crisis response teams, victim assistance and funds for added security and counseling. White House and agency officials reviewed the efforts and in September met with officials and representatives from each community. As a result, officials learned that communities could benefit from additional security personnel, emergency mental health crisis counseling, and long-term counseling to students, faculty and families. Experts will help local officials identify and respond to community needs, help develop a plan to address the needs and help locate financial and human resources. Project SERV is the latest in a line of federal programs designed to improve school security. Under the School-Based Partnerships program, the Clinton Administration released $16.4 million in grants to 155 law enforcement agencies in September. The money will be used by policing agencies to work with schools and community-based organizations to address crime at or near schools. The initiative emphasizes using principles of community policing and problem-solving methods to address the causes of school-related crime. In August, the Departments of Justice and Education released "Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools." The guide provides schools and communities with information on how to identify early warning signs of troubled youth and what steps to take to prevent and respond to school violence. Every school in the nation received a copy of the guide.

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