AG enters national group to examine legal and policy barriers for school safety
May 17, 2007 -- Attorney General Paul Morrison announced today he will join other state Attorneys General in a coordinated effort to examine legal issues related to school violence and safety.
In light of recent outbreaks of school violence, Morrison will work with his colleagues from the National Association of Attorneys General on the Task Force on School Safety. The Task Force is charged with identifying legal and policy barriers to ensure students have safe learning environments.
"As the top law enforcement officer of our state, I can help implement steps to ensure our schools are safe, secure and free from fear and violence," Morrison said. "All Attorneys General have a responsibility in dealing with the aftermath of violence in our schools."
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch are co-chairs of the Task Force. Members will work to identify innovative programs, policies and legislative initiatives to fill in the gaps in existing school safety protocols. Key relationships will also be examined between Attorneys General, educators, law enforcement, public and private educational advocacy groups.
On May 3, several former Attorneys General now serving in the United States Senate wrote to Attorneys General asking that they assess the state of campus security nationwide and make recommendations for improvements. U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman (CT), Mark Pryor (AL), Ken Salazar (CO), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) asked Attorneys General to respond to questions surrounding contingency trainings, safety practices, and emergency notification procedures, as well as actions the federal government can take to facilitate emergency planning and law enforcement response on college campuses.
The recent tragedy at Virginia Tech underscores the need for continued work by Attorneys General, law enforcement, school officials, mental health experts and other groups to ensure a learning environment that is free from violence.
"There is a clear need to adequately address students with behavioral or mental health problems that may pose a danger to themselves or others," Morrison said. "There are serious challenges facing our criminal justice system regarding mentally ill offenders.”
Experts in school security, behavioral specialists, educators, students and other advocates will be invited to meet with Attorneys General in order to develop a comprehensive report with recommendations to the states in September.