COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PRESS OFFICE

 

Contact: Mark A. Miner Phone: (804) 692-3110 Pager: (888) 646-5017

For Immediate Release May 10, 1999

 

News Release

Governor Gilmore Announces Public-Private "Partnership for School Safety"
-Includes online, hotline reporting; training of 3,000 before school opens this fall-

RICHMOND- Governor Jim Gilmore today announced the "Partnership for School Safety," a public-private partnership, which includes online reporting of school crime, a toll-free statewide hotline, special training for deputy sheriffs, small police departments, school staff and parents, and $1.5 million for additional School Resource Officers (SROs).

"Students and teachers need to feel safe in their schools," Governor Gilmore said. "The technology and training available through the Partnership for School Safety will assist students, teachers, administrators, parents, and law enforcement even more in preventing school crime and violence. This is a partnership among the Commonwealth, corporations and communities."

Bell Atlantic of Virginia, GTE of Virginia, and the Virginia Information Providers Network (VIPNet) joined with the Commonwealth to set up a dedicated Internet site for on-line reporting of school safety threats and crime, as well as a toll-free statewide hotline. Both will be fully operational by the time teachers return for pre-school workshops in August. The Department of Education and other state agencies will conduct special promotional activities about the Internet site and the hotline.

"It is important that local officials decide for their community whether they want to participate, and if so, who should receive the hotline calls and on-line threat reports, whether law enforcement or school officials," Governor Gilmore said. "Today I am sending a letter to every mayor, every board of supervisors chairman, and every school board chairman. I am asking them to meet as quickly as possible with their sheriff or chief of police, and superintendent of schools, to decide this matter. I am requesting the fullest voluntary participation in this partnership, and that the state be advised of local decisions by June 1."

Governor Gilmore also authorized a $1.5 million grant to assist localities in training and assigning more deputies and officers for full-time duty as School Resource Officers (SROs). It is expected this would fund nearly 40 new SROs.

Governor Gilmore last fall approved $1.5 million in funding for additional SROs. They were trained in January at the State Police Academy, then assumed their duties in 29 communities. In addition, Governor Gilmore authorized the following steps:

• Intense short-course school safety training for police and sheriff's departments in communities without School Resource Officers (SROs).
• Tactical training for current SROs so that they can better respond should a hostage situation or some similar emergency occur in a school with a SRO as the first responder.
• Additional training of State Police Crime Prevention Specialists so that they can train school personnel and educate parents about school safety issues.
• Special training for custodians, cafeteria workers and other school support staff, who often are among the most familiar with a school site.
• Designation of the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as an optional central repository of extra sets of school blueprints, crisis management plans, and emergency contacts.

"All together, more than 3,000 officers, deputies, and school personnel across Virginia will benefit from this training, which will extend throughout the summer," Governor Gilmore said. "The goal is to have all of them trained before school opens this fall."

Since last summer, the Governor's New Partnership Commission for Community Safety has been instrumental in assisting communities in Southside, the Valley and the Peninsula to train and assign more SROs, as well as address other safety concerns. The Commission also is looking at ways to use technology to improve community safety, and will report to Governor Gilmore this summer.

Governor Gilmore's Press Releases

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