Attorney General Jim Hood Calls for Increase in College and School Safety

Attorney General Jim Hood calls for reform to federal and state laws and educational policies that leave students vulnerable to violence at schools and college campuses. “I am deeply concerned about the ability of students to learn in an environment that is as secure as possible from the threat of violence. My concern is what drove me to publish a school violence prevention guide last year. I am committed to doing whatever is necessary to make our nation’s schools and campuses as safe as possible,” responded Attorney General Hood.

Attorney General Jim Hood is a member of the Task Force on School and Campus Safety for the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), which recently released a 14-page report recommending specific changes addressing threat assessment protocols for dealing with the mentally ill, crisis response planning and effective communication, and more. “The goal of this report is to stimulate dialogue among policy makers, educational administrators, law enforcement professionals and others as they examine school and campus safety issues,” stated Attorney General Jim Hood.

The following are a few of the recommendations made by the Task Force:

* State and federal lawmakers should examine privacy laws in an effort to remove barriers to effective information sharing. Appropriate state and federal agencies should clarify how information, including mental health records, can be shared under existing state and federal laws.

* State legislators should mandate all schools and colleges that receive state funding create, maintain, and update emergency management plans.

* Colleges should implement a multi-point, redundant communication system that leverages existing technology and provides information to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

* Every school and college should have mechanisms in place to allow for the anonymous reporting of perceived threats by students or faculty. The system should include educational outreach and effective follow-up by trained professionals.

* States should continue to implement and expand bullying prevention measures, including cyber bullying.

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